McAneeley Lake in Turnor Lake: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  You will find McAneeley Lake in Turnor Lake, Saskatchewan. The bank is 433 metres above sea level. At roughly 16.09 sq km it ranks among the larger waters in the region. The outline measures near 28 km, so a boat opens up water the bank never reaches. Nearest town is Buffalo Narrows, 68 km off. Then Fort McMurray, 162 km, and Cold Lake, 238 km. Rules here are straightforward: one set of provincial rules.

• Where to Fish on McAneeley Lake

  No figure exists for depth, so let the water show you. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Records held for Turnor Lake cover walleye and spottail shiner. These are county-wide records, so not all of them will be in this water. The near bank of McAneeley Lake is often the one people ignore.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Average temperature peaks around 17°C in July and bottoms out near -20°C in January. This is a two-season water: locked, then wide open. The lid usually sets by midwinter and gives way around late April. The open-water window runs from around late April to about early November in an average year. May into June fishes hardest, and September gives a second good stretch before the lid returns. Plan around that when you fish McAneeley Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing in our records says who may fish here. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. No built facilities appear in mapping around this water. For walleye, a jig and minnow near the bottom is the standard; evenings beat middays. Where the road in crosses private land, ask first. Check whether bait restrictions apply before you buy any. For a change of water, Linvall Lake is 16 km distant. Treat access at McAneeley Lake as something to verify.