Montague Lake Fishing near Assiniboia, Saskatchewan

• Overview

  Montague Lake is one of the Willow Bunch No. 42 waters in Saskatchewan. This is lake country bush country. This is big water, about 17.05 sq km, and in a wind it behaves like a small sea. The perimeter runs near 14 km, so plan the walk before you start. Assiniboia lies 22 km from the water. After that come Gravelbourg at 70 km and Scobey at 80 km. No border sits close enough to matter.

• Where to Fish on Montague Lake

  Without a survey to go on, judge depth from how the bank falls away. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. The shape of Montague Lake rewards a slow walk along one bank. Where the wind piles up, so does the food.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect July to average close to 21°C, with January the cold end at about -12°C. The year runs cold to warm and back, with clear transitions. The lid usually goes in mid April, which opens the strongest weeks of the year. Open water usually runs from mid April until about late November. Spring is short and heavy here; autumn is longer and steadier. That shapes the year on Montague Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  No public source sets out the position on this bank. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. Formal access is not mapped, so the last stretch is likely on foot. Check whether a boat is allowed before you tow one. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. Shallow Lake at 5.7 km is the sensible second choice. None of that is settled for Montague Lake in what we hold.