Fishing at Sandy Lake, Wawken No. 93, Saskatchewan

• Overview

  In Saskatchewan, Sandy Lake falls inside Wawken No. 93. The water sits 762 metres up. Roughly 47 hectares: a morning covers one end, an afternoon the other. For a base, Carlyle sits 26 km out. Then Moosomin, 69 km, and Oxbow, 69 km. Round about: 3.9 km out stands McFarlane Lake, West Two Island Lake at 5.2 km, 6.6 km out stands Birch Island Lake, Dermody Lake at 7 km and 8.6 km out stands Coyote Lake. The nearest edge is a long way off, so local rules apply throughout.

• Where to Fish on Sandy Lake

  No chart reached our records; the first cast is your sounding. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Across Wawken No. 93, recorded fish include yellow perch, emerald shiner and fathead minnow. Species recorded across the county may be limited to a few waters. On Sandy Lake the quiet end is the one worth the extra effort.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The year swings from about -16°C in January to roughly 18°C in July. Hard water is a season in its own right here. The lid usually sets by midwinter and gives way around late April. Averages suggest open water from about late April through to roughly mid November. June through September is the settled part of the year, with the shoulders busier for fish. On Sandy Lake that shapes the whole year.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing in our records says who may fish here. There is no recorded infrastructure here; expect to find your own way in. For the perch, a small jig tipped with worm, dropped along the edges, is hard to beat. Some banks are open only from a marked point. Signs go up and come down, so check on the day. The nearest alternative is McFarlane Lake, 3.9 km out. Check the position on Sandy Lake before loading the car.