Phil Lake Fishing near Creighton, Saskatchewan

• Overview

  Phil Lake falls in Creighton, part of Saskatchewan. The water sits 305 metres up. Surface area runs to about 10 hectares — small enough to read in one session. The bank runs about 1.5 km all the way round, so one visit can cover most of it. On size it sits at the modest end of our Creighton list. Nearest place of any size is Creighton, 20 km away. It is 412 km to Saskatoon, the nearest city. The nearest boundary is a fair way off.

• Where to Fish on Phil Lake

  No figure exists for depth, so let the water show you. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Across Creighton, recorded fish include northern pike, white sucker and johnny darter. These are county-wide records, so not all of them will be in this water. Phil Lake repays a walk before the first cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warmest month averages 17°C, the coldest about -22°C. Seasons are distinct, and each one fishes differently. Hard water holds through the cold months, breaking up near early May. In an average year the thaw lands around early May and the freeze near early November. From the thaw to midsummer the fishing improves week by week. Anyone fishing Phil Lake regularly works to that calendar.

• Tackle & Baits

  There is no clear statement anywhere on who can fish it. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. Access points are not mapped for this water, which suits people who like quiet. Parking space is the usual limit rather than the bank itself. Some ground is open by custom rather than by right, so tread carefully. Should this one be busy, Brutus Lake is 2.1 km off. Confirm access to Phil Lake locally before you travel.