Fishing Lake Diefenbaker for Rainbow Trout
Like me you probably heard of the world record rainbow trout that came from Lake Diefenbaker. The previous record for rainbow trout was held by the brother of the current record holder. Also caught fishing in Lake Diefenbaker. In researching this lake I came to the conclusion that this is an awesome fishing destination for more than just rainbows.
48 lb Record Rainbow Trout
Before I dive into the other ample fish species you can catch in this Lake we’ll talk a little bit about that epic rainbow trout. On September 5th 2009 Sean Konrad Landed a 48 lb rainbow Trail on Lake Diefenbaker. the previous record was a 43 lb 10 oz fish caused by his brother Adam in 2007.
Now before you go running off to Lake Diefenbaker expecting to catch a 40 lb fish there’s a few things you should be aware of. These fish accidentally got out of a fish farm located on the lake they weren’t a regular strain of rainbow trout. That is these fish were genetically engineered, they are known as triploids. This engineering also renders the fish sterile. So unfortunately there are no monster offspring of these fish in the lake.
If you would like to read more about this fish you can check out this article in wired magazine.
What Fish Species Can you Catch in the Lake ?
Besides the Eye-popping world record rainbow trout what else is there to catch in this vast lake? well I decided to dig around on the forums, fish-brain and, a number of other sites and this is what I came up with.
- Burbot
- Walleye
- Northern pike
- Lake Whitefish
- Sauger
- Gold eye
- Yellow perch
- Rainbow trout
- Brown trout
- Lake sturgeon
There are also several other non-game fish that form part of the ecosystem such as suckers and cisco.
You can regularly catch decent-sized rainbow trout here of several pounds. The lake is also very popular with Pike fisherman. A Decent-sized pike from Lake Diefenbaker will be around the three foot or 10 lb mark. This is a popular venue in the winter also for ice fishing. Indeed it makes it much easier for anglers without a decent boat to enjoy the sport fishing here.
The walleye fishing here is nothing to sniff at either. Healthy walleye of several pounds are quite common. and I have seen pictures from this Lake of walleye around the 10 lb mark. indeed the walleye fishery here is probably part of the reason for the May fishing tournament more about that below .
Lake Diefenbaker is a Man-Made Reservoir
Located about 100 km south of Saskatoon, this is a man-made lake. The lake is formed from the damming of 2 river systems,the South Saskatchewan and the Qu’Appelle River .This huge Reservoir has over 800 km of Shoreline. Maximum depth is over 60 m 200 ft. There are tons of different bays and coves providing ample fishing opportunities.
Riverhurst Ferry
Navigating around the outside of this Lake can take quite some time, due to the massive amount of Shoreline. There is a single Ferry Crossing at Riverhurst. So needless to say your best options for exploring this Lake are with a boat.
Boat Launches
There are a ton of places where you can put a boat in the water.. I’m not going to cover all of them but I shall highlight a few of them.
- Danielson boat launch at the Danielson Provincial Park North end of the lake
- Douglas boat launch in the Douglas Provincial Park South end of the lake
- Lakeside Marina located centrally into town of elbow, SK
- Hitchcock Bay Located in the Western arm near Riverhurst
Lake Diefenbaker Fishing Tournament
On Victoria Day Weekend there is a walleye fishing tournament on Lake Diefenbaker. This is also known as the Lake Diefenbaker walleye classic. this is a catch-and-release tournament and the 1st place prize was $10,000 for 2019. Even if you can’t compete with the big boys sounds like a heck of a way to spend may 24.
There is also the Sask Landing walleye tournament. This tournament is run in July.
Common Questions
What kind of fish are in Lake Diefenbaker?
The most commonly sought-after fish in Lake Diefenbaker are northern pike, rainbow trout and walleye. There are also perch, lake white fish, sturgeon and more.
How long is Diefenbaker Lake?
Lake Diefenbaker is 225 km long 140 miles. at 6 km at its widest point this is an extremely long and skinny lake.
How far is Diefenbaker Lake from Saskatoon?
The lake is approximately 100 km 60 miles we’re about an hour’s Drive south of Saskatoon. Although it’ll probably take you another half hour or so to get to a good fishing spot.
How far is Diefenbaker Lake from Regina?
Diefenbaker is about a two-hour Drive Northwest from Regina.
What is the best time of year to fish on Lake Diefenbaker?
The lake is open to fishing all year round, so you can enjoy open water fishing or ice fishing here.
Sources
Wikipedia. Org
