Cypress Lake in Reno No. 51: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Cypress Lake belongs to Reno No. 51, Saskatchewan. It lies 969 metres above sea level. Surface area runs to some 22.41 sq km, so a boat and a plan are both worth having. The shoreline runs to about 39 km, far more than one trip can cover. Start from Maple Creek, 49 km down the road. Then Shaunavon, 78 km, and Dunmore, 99 km. One jurisdiction covers this water end to end.

• Where to Fish on Cypress Lake

  We hold no depth figure for this one. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Records held for Reno No. 51 cover Iowa darter, mountain sucker, white sucker, fathead minnow and northern redbelly dace. Those are county-wide records, so not every one of them will be in this water. At Cypress Lake the first feature you find is worth twenty minutes.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The year swings from about -13°C in January to roughly 18°C in July. A hard winter is normal, and the thaw brings a strong few weeks. Winter fishing happens on the ice here, with open water back around late April. Going by climate averages, expect open water from about late April until roughly mid November. Fishing peaks soon after break-up and again before the cold returns. The season on Cypress Lake rarely departs from it.

• Tackle & Baits

  Our records carry no access rule either way. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. Heglund Island Wildlife Refuge takes in this water; protected-area rules will apply. A light spinning outfit with a small box of lures and some bait covers most of what swims here. Parking space is the usual limit rather than the bank itself. Fishing rules and camping rules are set separately here. Should this one be busy, Harris Lake is 38 km off. For Cypress Lake in particular, ask before you travel.