Filion Lake in Canwood No. 494: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  The Canwood No. 494 end of Saskatchewan holds Filion Lake. The country here is spruce and muskeg. It measures some 1.75 sq km, and wind has room to build across it. Shoreline length is close to 13 km, and each section fishes a little differently. For supplies, Shellbrook is 36 km out. Further out sit Prince Albert (66 km) and Rosthern (96 km). No boundary runs near, so the local rules hold throughout.

• Where to Fish on Filion Lake

  The records we hold are silent on depth, so plan to find it yourself. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. At Filion Lake the first feature you find is worth twenty minutes. Overhanging branches shade fish that would otherwise sit deeper.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July runs about 17°C on average, January about -19°C. Water stays cold even at the height of the year. Ice is part of the season here, ending near late April. In an average year the thaw lands around late April and the freeze near early November. September and October fish steadily right up to the freeze. It holds true on Filion Lake more years than not.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing in our records says who may fish here. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. Nothing built is recorded close to the bank here. Parking is often the real limit rather than the bank itself. Close seasons apply to some species and not others. Should this one be busy, Walport Lake is 6 km off. The position on Filion Lake is worth confirming on the day.