Stillwater · Sedimentary · Saskatchewan

Cypress Hills lakes

Cypress Hills lakes terrain map

The Cypress Hills are Saskatchewan's southern trout surprise — a cool forested upland above the prairie with park lakes stocked for rainbow, brook, brown and tiger trout.

Fair · Rainbow
Callibaetis Nymph · 12-16
A respectable few hours, if you choose your moments
Good wave on — drift country. A useful wave. Work the productive shore.
48% confidence
limited data
What moved it
  • WindE 8 km/hLight breeze
Today's fly
CN
Callibaetis Nymph12-16
High-confidence seasonal pick
Conditions on the water
Live gauge
Wind
Light breeze
E 8 km/h
N
E
from the east
WaveRipple
Water temp
Air temp16°C
CloudClear
Pressure1012 hPa
Rain · recent0.0 mm

Some readings unavailable — check directly before fishing.

How to fish it · for Rainbow
When
No strong hatch signals at the moment — general searching tactics should work best. The ripple is helpful — fish should move onto the feed and a slow-drifted team or single wet will cover water well.
Where
Set up a broadside drift and cover the water systematically. Work a bushy searching pattern on the bob and drop a contrasting nymph on the point. When no hatch is visible, a buzzer team — black stripped quill on the point, attractor or pearl-rib on the top dropper — is the default starting point on any UK stillwater.
The plan
Plan A

Set up a broadside drift and cover the water systematically. Work a bushy searching pattern on the bob and drop a contrasting nymph on the point. When no hatch is visible, a buzzer team — black stripped quill on the point, attractor or pearl-rib on the top dropper — is the default starting point on any UK stillwater.

Plan B

If the main plan is not working, switch to a smaller, more imitative pattern fished slower and deeper. A change of drift angle can also make a difference.

Watch for

Evening tends to be the best period in summer — stay late if you can for a sedge or spinner fall.

Boat — drift

A gentle ripple is ideal for drifting — broadside drift covering the wind lanes should be productive.

Sub-surface · on the nymphunder the surface

Hatch predictions

Top nymph shown — see all 2 guilds with Pro.

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Beyond the hatch · worth watchingambient prey

Hatch predictions

Top prey shown — see all 5 with Pro.

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Through the year
0–3 scale · July highlighted
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Trout seasonSeason
2
2
1
1
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
Gray DrakeHatch
2
2
CallibaetisHatch
2
3
3
3
2
Hexagenia (Western)Hatch
2
2
Black MidgeHatch
2
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
2

Numbers are intensity 0 (none) to 3 (peak) — a guide, not a guarantee.

Ranked for today
Rainbow fly box
Permits & access
Permit required — see local rules.
  • Southern zone; per-lake stocking and gear rules
  • Verify the 2026–27 SK Anglers Guide.
What's coming
Plan ahead
5-day outlook
Condition match
78%
Cloud25%
Wind100%
Temp100%

A good match for Cypress Hills lakes — most conditions are close to what it fishes best in.

About this water

The Cypress Hills are Saskatchewan's southern trout surprise — a cool forested upland above the prairie with park lakes stocked for rainbow, brook, brown and tiger trout. It's proper stillwater fly fishing — chironomids over the shoals, leeches and small streamers along the weed beds — in a one-of-a-kind setting, a green island of trout water hundreds of kilometres south of the province's usual wilderness lakes. A great little destination in its own right.

Under the surface

The Cypress Hills in Saskatchewan's far south-west are a cool, high green island above the prairie — and the province's best southern stocked-trout fly destination. The park lakes and ponds are stocked with rainbow, brook, brown and tiger trout, giving genuine stillwater fly fishing (chironomids, leeches, small streamers) in a unique upland setting hundreds of kilometres from the northern wilderness. Important for southern coverage.

Wading: Small stocked lakes — boat/float tube and bank fishery

  • Lake
  • Sedimentary
  • Stillwater
  • Shoal
Why this score
  • Wind conditions (ripple) closely match what this water fishes best in.
  • Temperature (cool) is in the sweet spot for summer fishing.
Directions
Seasons & zones
  • Trout 5 May31 March
Related guides
Booking & contacts