Fishing Goose Lake in Hudson Bay No. 394, Saskatchewan

• Overview

  In Saskatchewan, Goose Lake falls inside Hudson Bay No. 394. Country round the bank runs to mixed forest. This is big water, about 15.24 sq km, and in a wind it behaves like a small sea. At about 19 km of edge, most people work one arm at a time. The nearest town is Hudson Bay, 86 km away. The Pas is 86 km and Nipawin 103 km. It sits well inside its county, with no border complications.

• Where to Fish on Goose Lake

  Our records carry no depth, so judge it from the bank. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Open biodiversity records for Hudson Bay No. 394 list goldeye, northern pike and white sucker. It is the county picture; the agency list is water-specific. At Goose Lake the water rewards a slow, careful approach.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warmest month averages 18°C, the coldest about -20°C. Hard water is a season in its own right here. Hard cover is dependable here; it goes around late April. From about late April to around mid November, expect open water on the long-run figures. Just after the ice goes and just before it returns, the fishing lifts. On Goose Lake that shapes the whole year.

• Tackle & Baits

  We have no record of the rules that apply on this bank. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. No car park, ramp or path is recorded within easy reach of the shore. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Rules for this water may differ from the county norm. Where parking is tight, arriving early solves most problems. Binns Lakes at 5 km is the sensible second choice. Treat Goose Lake as unsettled until someone local tells you otherwise.