Fishing at Old Lake, Garden River No. 490, Saskatchewan

• Overview

  Old Lake falls in Garden River No. 490, part of Saskatchewan. It sits in rolling bush country. This is sizeable water at about 1.81 sq km, and a boat opens up most of it. Around 4.7 km of margin, front to back. 48 km away sits Prince Albert, the nearest town. Saskatoon sits 178 km out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. This one sits near enough to a boundary to be worth checking.

• Where to Fish on Old Lake

  Depth figures are not published for this one. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. At Old Lake the water rewards a slow, careful approach. The same spot fishes differently at either end of the day.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Temperature averages peak at 17°C in July and bottom out at -19°C in January. The season turns properly here, and fish follow it closely. Hard cover is dependable here; it goes around late April. Break-up near late April, freeze-up near early November: that is the shape of an average year. The shoulder weeks of the open season are the productive ones. That shapes the year on Old Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  The rules here are undocumented as far as public sources go. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. Public mapping records no formal access here, so plan for a walk and soft ground. Check whether a boat is allowed before you tow one. Keep proof of licence with you rather than in the car. Should this one be busy, Birchbark Lake is 11 km off. Check the position at Old Lake before loading the car.