Rusty Lake in Greig Lake: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Rusty Lake falls in Greig Lake, part of Saskatchewan. It sits in taiga. It measures some 1.74 sq km, and wind has room to build across it. The margin runs to about 8.4 km in total. Meadow Lake sits 38 km from the bank. Saskatoon sits 290 km out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. Two sets of local rules meet not far from this water.

• Where to Fish on Rusty Lake

  Depth is not on record here, so the bank has to tell you. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Public occurrence data for Greig Lake names northern pike, brook trout, yellow perch and common shiner. The county list is broader than any single water. At Rusty Lake the first feature you find is worth twenty minutes.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-run averages give July about 16°C and January about -18°C. Open water arrives late and leaves early, which concentrates the fishing. Look for the thaw near late April; the fishing lifts straight after. On the long-run averages the water opens up around late April and starts locking again about early November. The weeks after the thaw and the ones before the freeze are the strongest. It holds true on Rusty Lake more years than not.

• Tackle & Baits

  Ownership and access are not documented in what we hold. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. A made slipway is 580 m from here, which settles the boat question. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. Read any posted signs at the access point rather than assuming. A polite question at the farm gate opens more banks than anything else. Little Raspberry Lake at 2.8 km is the sensible second choice. What applies at Rusty Lake may have changed since it was mapped.