Lake Of The Day : Lady Lake

Lady Lake is one of the few trout fishing lakes in Saskatchewan. While the lake is not very deep, the trout are stocked here, and an aerator helps to ensure sufficient oxygen for winter survival. Rainbow trout are an ideal species to try your hand at fly fishing. Walleye, pike and perch can all be caught by this method as well, but when people think of fly fishing, trout are usually the first species that comes to mind. Lady Lake is also an ideal fly fishing lake for anglers in belly boats or pontoons. The lake is shallow, therefore not suited to larger boats. Motors are not allowed here. Fly fishers often try to “match the hatch,” with their patterns. Take a look at the insects that are emerging at any given time, and tailor your fly patterns to those insects. Early in the season, as the trout are beginning to feed after winter, leeches are a good pattern choice. As the season progresses, mayflies, damselflies and other similar insects can be enticing to the trout. Brook trout and rainbow trout are often caught using similar patterns. Brook trout tend to be found in somewhat deeper water than rainbow trout, so your presentation may differ depending on your target. If you’re using standard fishing tackle, rainbow trout can be caught with a variety of lures from spoons to spinners. Traditional methods of catching other species such as jigs and bait can sometimes succeed, though trout are often attracted by the brighter colours that are found on other tackle. The best times to fish for trout are early and late in the season. Early in the spring, just after ice-off, can be excellent. The action will slow down during the summer, particularly if it’s hot. As the weather cools off, into September and October, the bite can return. Lady Lake is open for fishing year-round, and people do ice fish here. However, there is an aerator on the lake, and caution is absolutely essential, as the aerator will make for thin ice and open patches of water. LAKE ACCESS From Yorkton, Lady Lake is 105 km north. Head north along Hwy 9 to Hwy 49. Turn right, back onto Hwy 9, and follow to Lady Lake. Lady Lake Regional Park is a quiet spot with ball diamonds, beaches and camping spots.