Fishing at Wood Lake, Sandy Bay, Saskatchewan

• Overview

  Look for Wood Lake in Sandy Bay, Saskatchewan. The surface lies 323 metres up. This is big water, about 83.85 sq km, and in a wind it behaves like a small sea. Its shape is complex, and the arms fish like separate waters. On our Sandy Bay list it sits near the top for size. You are 26 km from Pelican Narrows. Saskatoon sits 415 km out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. No county line comes close, which keeps the paperwork simple.

• Where to Fish on Wood Lake

  Open data we checked carries no depth for this water. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Records held for Sandy Bay cover northern pike, walleye, yellow perch and Arctic grayling. Those are county-wide records, so not every one of them will be in this water. On Wood Lake the obvious spot is not always the productive one.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Seasonal averages run from -22°C in January up to 17°C in July. The ice season is long here and the open one short. After early May the shallows warm and the fish move up. Open water usually runs from early May until about early November. Right after break-up, and again as the nights sharpen, is when to go. The season on Wood Lake follows the weather closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access status is simply unknown for this water. 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. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Bank access can be seasonal on ground like this. Where tickets apply, they are sold in the nearest town rather than on the bank. Pixley Lake sits 12 km off and takes the overflow. For Wood Lake in particular, ask before you travel.