Fishing Owaa Lake in Lakeland No. 521, Saskatchewan

• Overview

  Owaa Lake is a Lakeland No. 521 water, in Saskatchewan. The bank is 551 metres above sea level. At about 86 hectares, a day is enough to walk the shoreline properly. Around 5.5 km of bank, which is a long day on foot. For supplies, Shellbrook is 54 km out. Prince Albert follows at 60 km, then Rosthern at 114 km. No county line comes close, which keeps the paperwork simple.

• Where to Fish on Owaa Lake

  Our records hold no depth for this water. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Survey and observation records for Lakeland No. 521 include northern pike, yellow perch and white sucker. Records at county level tell you what is around, not what is stocked here. Take Owaa Lake a stretch at a time.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages move between -17°C in January and 16°C in July. Everything is compressed into the middle of the year. 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. Look to early summer and the first cool weeks of autumn. Keep it in mind when planning a trip to Owaa Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Who may fish here is not settled in anything we hold. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. There is no mapped parking or launch nearby, which keeps numbers down. Pike mean a wire trace, no exceptions; big spoons and jerkbaits do the searching. A phone call first saves an afternoon. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. Halkett Lake, 6.6 km away, makes the obvious fallback. Check the current arrangement for Owaa Lake.