Stillwater · Sedimentary · Saskatchewan, CA

Cypress Hills lakes

CypressHillLochLeven

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
Balanced Leech · 8-12
A respectable few hours, if you choose your moments
Water temperature is the limiting factor today, not the wave. Fish dawn or dusk if you go at all, and handle everything with extra care.
49% confidence
limited data

Cypress Hills lakes is often best in spring through autumn.

What moved it
  • WindW 29 km/hFresh breeze
Today's fly
Balanced Leech
Balanced Leech8-12
Proven pattern for this period
Conditions on the water
Estimate
Wind
Fresh breeze
W 29 km/h
N
W
from the west
Wave60 cm wave
Water temp17.1°C
Air temp21°C
CloudOvercast
Pressure1003 hPa
Rain · recent0.0 mm

No gauge on this water — readings are regional estimates from weather, not a live gauge.

How to fish it · for Rainbow
When
The terrestrials are on.
Where
Work a bushy searching pattern on the bob and drop a contrasting nymph on the point.
The plan
Plan A

Work a bushy searching pattern on the bob and drop a contrasting nymph on the point.

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

Keep an eye on changing conditions — wind shifts and cloud breaks can trigger short feeding spells.

Boat — at anchor

Windy conditions suit anchoring in productive areas rather than open-water drifting.

Sub-surface · on the nymphunder the surface

Hatch predictions

Top nymph shown — see all 3 guilds as a supporter.

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Beyond the hatch · worth watchingambient prey(1)

Hatch predictions

Top prey shown — see all 3 as a supporter.

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Through the year
0–3 scale · September 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
CH
Chironomid
12-16 · Pattern
Proven pattern for this period
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
35%
Cloud50%
Wind30%
Temp25%

Conditions are away from Cypress Hills lakes's sweet spot — it usually fishes best in ripple wind with cloud skies.

Water here around 17°C. Nothing cooler within range — carry a thermometer.
Gallery · 2
  1. CypressHillLochLeven
  2. Terrain map of the venue
    Terrain map
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 (windy) are not ideal for this water.
  • Terrestrials are in their seasonal window, boosting the chance of targeted feeding.
Directions
Seasons & zones
  • Trout 5 May31 March
Related guides
Booking & contacts