Fishing Ulbricht Lake in Stony Rapids, Saskatchewan

• Overview

  The Stony Rapids end of Saskatchewan holds Ulbricht Lake. It stands 415 metres above sea level. With some 46 hectares of water, there is room for a boat but no need of one. There is roughly 4.3 km of shoreline here, which is a short walk end to end. It is one of the smaller waters we list in Stony Rapids. 350 km away sits Fort Smith, the nearest town. After that come Buffalo Narrows at 446 km and Fort McMurray at 461 km. The county line is nowhere near, so one local authority covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Ulbricht Lake

  We hold no depth figure for this one. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Survey and observation records for Stony Rapids include cisco, northern pike and round whitefish. Those are county-wide records, so not every one of them will be in this water. At Ulbricht Lake the water rewards a slow, careful approach.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-run averages give July about 15°C and January about -27°C. The season is measured in weeks rather than months. Break-up comes around late May, and the run that follows is short and strong. The lid tends to go about late May and return around late October. May into June fishes hardest, and September gives a second good stretch before the lid returns. Keep it in mind when planning a trip to Ulbricht Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  We have no record of the rules that apply on this bank. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. Access is unmapped, which usually means a farm track and a walk. For the pike, wire up and throw larger lures along the weed edges. Sort the permit out before you load the car. Check whether bait restrictions apply before you buy any. For a change of water, Pegmatite Lake is 2.8 km distant. None of that is settled for Ulbricht Lake in what we hold.