Saskatchewan’s fishing is walleye and pike, in the big reservoirs of the south and the lakes of the north. Lake Diefenbaker, on the South Saskatchewan River, is the province’s best-known open-water lake, and Tobin Lake, near Nipawin, is famous for trophy walleye through the ice. Both pages carry live Water Survey of Canada gauges.
Reports current for Friday, September 25
Every one of the 2 Saskatchewan waters we cover has a live read this morning. None reaches 4 out of 5 and 1 is slow. Water is around 16 °C. Pressure is rising on most of them, which costs a point in our model when the sky is clear. Wind touches 40 km/h on the roughest of them.
Best right now: Tobin Lake 3/5, Lake Diefenbaker 1/5
Live verdicts from this morning's reports.
Lake Diefenbaker: walleye, pike and big rainbow trout in the long reservoir on the South Saskatchewan River, with a live level gauge at Gardiner Dam.
Tobin Lake near Nipawin: trophy walleye and pike in a reservoir on the Saskatchewan River, famous for its ice fishing, with a live gauge.
Species activity across the covered waters, written for the Canadian year. Peak of the year: October.
1 = slow, 5 = peak. Current month highlighted.
Seasonal surface curve for the dominant water type here, in degrees Celsius (estimated, not a reading).
| Water | Type | Live data | Peak month |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Diefenbaker | Lake | Water Survey gauge | Jun |
| Tobin Lake | Lake | Water Survey gauge | Jun |
The south is prairie, with reservoirs on the big rivers; the north is boreal forest and Shield, with thousands of lakes. Walleye and northern pike are the fish of both, with perch, sauger, whitefish and lake trout in the north.
Anglers buy a licence and, from 16 to 64, a Fisheries Habitat Certificate through the HAL system, GST included; Saskatchewan residents under 16 or 65 and over need no licence. The anglers’ guide sets the seasons and limits.
The reservoir gauges show the level changes that move fish along the shore; in winter, the ice season depends on safe ice, which no agency certifies, especially near the river channels of the reservoirs.
Yes, unless you are under 16 or a Saskatchewan resident 65 or over. See our Saskatchewan licence page.
Lake Diefenbaker and Tobin Lake are two of the best known, in open water and through the ice.
Lake Diefenbaker and Tobin Lake.