Rhondda Lake in Stony Rapids: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  The Stony Rapids end of Saskatchewan holds Rhondda Lake. The water sits 402 metres up. Roughly 9.88 sq km of surface: treat each bay as a water in its own right. There is roughly 55 km of bank, and each arm behaves like its own water. Fort Smith sits 391 km from here and is the nearest stop. It is 878 km to Saskatoon, the nearest city. It lies deep inside the county rather than near an edge.

• Where to Fish on Rhondda Lake

  There is no recorded depth, so work from what you can see. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Reported across Stony Rapids: cisco, northern pike, round whitefish and lake chub. Species recorded across the county may be limited to a few waters. At Rhondda Lake light and wind decide more than tackle does.

• Seasonal Patterns

  On the long-term average, July reads 14°C and January reads -27°C. Winter runs most of the calendar, and everything worth doing happens in the gap. Count the season from break-up, usually late May. On average, late May opens the water and late October closes it again. The shoulder weeks of the open season are the productive ones. The season on Rhondda Lake rarely departs from it.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether the bank is open is not something our records settle. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. Access points are not mapped for this water, which suits people who like quiet. For the pike, wire up and throw larger lures along the weed edges. A landowner's word beats anything printed elsewhere. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. If the gate is shut, Alley Lake at 9.3 km is the nearest alternative. For Rhondda Lake, the notice at the access point is the final word.