Fishing Ithingo Lake in Turnor Lake, Saskatchewan

• Overview

  Ithingo Lake stands in Turnor Lake, Saskatchewan. Everything around it is taiga. Surface area runs to some 19.54 sq km, so a boat and a plan are both worth having. Some 50 km of shoreline means conditions can differ from one end to the other. The closest town, Buffalo Narrows, is 123 km away. Fort McMurray follows at 235 km, then La Ronge at 238 km. No boundary runs near, so the local rules hold throughout.

• Where to Fish on Ithingo Lake

  Without a survey to go on, judge depth from how the bank falls away. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Records held for Turnor Lake cover walleye and spottail shiner. Records at this level tell you what is in the area. Fish Ithingo Lake to its features, not to its size.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect July to average close to 16°C, with January the cold end at about -22°C. Water stays cold even at the height of the year. After early May the shallows warm and the fish move up. The lid tends to go about early May and return around early November. September and October fish steadily right up to the freeze. Ithingo Lake fishes to that pattern most years.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether the bank is open is not something our records settle. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. There is a mapped landing stage 1.4 km away. Walleye come to jigs worked slow near bottom, and to trolled crankbaits along the drops at dusk. Where the road in crosses private land, ask first. Close seasons apply to some species and not others. Blais Lake at 3.8 km is the sensible second choice. Treat Ithingo Lake as unsettled until someone local tells you otherwise.