Tobin lake

[Smoky buck]

So after checking a bunch of options for a pike trip to sask Tobin sticks out as a good possible option

Anyone have experience fishing there late aug/early Sep?

If you have stayed at any of the cabins how was your experience?

We will be kayak fishing so boat launch’s are not important but how is it for different locations to put in if we wanted to drive to different locations of the lake and launch?

Any information you can add would be great

[1973 Moose]

Go around to the northside where the old highway goes into the lake. You can fish the old river channel.

[Smoky buck]

Bump to hopefully break the silence

Not looking for your fishing spots on the lake just info on possible accommodations, access, and opinion on the fishery during the time of year I posted

I am someone who prefers to look at depth charts and pick where I think the fish are because it has treated me better then following where others fish

[Lowrance Fishburn]

Tobin is a great lake, massive body of water so I hope you are bringing a big and capable boat. If you're only looking for pike there are a couple of well known areas to fish around that time of year that will produce sizable fish. You can find big pike between the river mouth on the north east shore and pemmican point. If weather permits you can head to the big lake and fish the north shore opposite of Walls Flats or out past an area known as Elk Island nearer the EB Campbell dam. Lots of cabbage that time of year so try to fish just along side the outermost line of weeds to avoid getting hung up all day. Bring gear capable of handling BIG fish. Not good to play out a 25 lb pike on light gear -the 30-40 minute fight alone almost ensures that fish's demise. Bring a big net and barbless hooks are mandatory. Good luck!

[Smoky buck]

Thanks for the reply going to leave the big boat at home and go with kayaks

Gear is all in order no worries there

Any experience with any of the accommodations around Tobin?

[cube]

Originally Posted by Smoky buck

Bump to hopefully break the silence

Not looking for your fishing spots on the lake just info on possible accommodations, access, and opinion on the fishery during the time of year I posted

I am someone who prefers to look at depth charts and pick where I think the fish are because it has treated me better then following where others fish

Look up a couple of vids. One with Mercer and 1 with fishing Canada. They are both latter in the season and they tell you where and how to fish. They were using bobbers and quick strike rigs at that time of the year catching Large pike feeding on ciscos by Wallis Flats. There is a road to the end of the flats and you will not have a problem putting you kayak in there.

The other location I would put in is at the far North West end by the EB Campbell dam. There is boat launch there so again no problem putting in.

Two words of warning though. First it is often windy and the waves can be very big on the lake part of Tobin. At that time of the year the pike are in the lake portion of the system. Second you have to be flexible in your thinking and presentations on Tobin. They did not log out the trees before they flooded the lake hence there are MANY snags so I know I had to adjust the way I normally fish after I got there.

If your going for Walleye the river portion to Tobin Lake resort point is still best at that time of the year. You can find a good place to put in at the Nipawin regional park by the upstream dam. If you have two vehicles then I would just drift down stream from there until Tobin Lake resort point. Again very Many snags and you will lose lots of hooks so most just use lindy rigs etc here as they are cheap and work about as good as anything.

https://www.rustyhooktobin.com/image...n_Lake_Map.pdf
Best accommodation in the area I found was the Northern Greens Resort and Conference Centre

Good Luck to You

[Smoky buck]

Thanks Cube I will check out those accommodations

I am unconventional in my fishing style compared to most so hopefully that will play to my advantage lol

Goal will be pike and fished with lures I make. This will consist of crankbaits, large dressed inline spinners, jerk/gliders, top water, some soft plastics and rigs I am designing for them. I should have a lure or two in my arsenal that will do the trick

[cube]

Better map
https://reeleminn.com/wp-content/upl...n-Lake-Map.pdf

[cube]

Originally Posted by Smoky buck

Thanks Cube I will check out those accommodations

I am unconventional in my fishing style compared to most so hopefully that will play to my advantage lol

Goal will be pike and fished with lures I make. This will consist of crankbaits, large dressed inline spinners, jerk/gliders, top water, some soft plastics and rigs I am designing for them. I should have a lure or two in my arsenal that will do the trick

If your lures don't dive deep you should be fine. If however they do go deep and you like them then perhaps get a lure retriever so you at least stand a chance of getting them back. If your fishing anywhere outside the old river channel it is literally an old forest just below the boat. There are also plenty of old sunken logs and trees in the old river channels as well but not as bad. The goal is usually trying to bump up along where the old river channel meets the sunken forest. Hence, why so many snags.

Hope you have great success and post some photos after your trip

[58thecat]

great thread...yakin'for da jacks

[Smoky buck]

Originally Posted by cube

If your lures don't dive deep you should be fine. If however they do go deep and you like them then perhaps get a lure retriever so you at least stand a chance of getting them back. If your fishing anywhere outside the old river channel it is literally an old forest just below the boat. There are also plenty of old sunken logs and trees in the old river channels as well but not as bad. The goal is usually trying to bump up along where the old river channel meets the sunken forest. Hence, why so many snags.

Hope you have great success and post some photos after your trip

I will be able to cover the water column from surface to bottom with the range of lures I can build .

Swim baits rigged weedless often solve most snag issues too and a trick I use for pulling pike directly out of flooded timber in a different location

If all goes well I will post some pics

[fish99]

Originally Posted by cube

Better map
https://reeleminn.com/wp-content/upl...n-Lake-Map.pdf

wow thanks its amazing map

[Lowrance Fishburn]

Originally Posted by cube

Look up a couple of vids. One with Mercer and 1 with fishing Canada. They are both latter in the season and they tell you where and how to fish. They were using bobbers and quick strike rigs at that time of the year catching Large pike feeding on ciscos by Wallis Flats. There is a road to the end of the flats and you will not have a problem putting you kayak in there.

The other location I would put in is at the far North West end by the EB Campbell dam. There is boat launch there so again no problem putting in.

Two words of warning though. First it is often windy and the waves can be very big on the lake part of Tobin. At that time of the year the pike are in the lake portion of the system. Second you have to be flexible in your thinking and presentations on Tobin. They did not log out the trees before they flooded the lake hence there are MANY snags so I know I had to adjust the way I normally fish after I got there.

If your going for Walleye the river portion to Tobin Lake resort point is still best at that time of the year. You can find a good place to put in at the Nipawin regional park by the upstream dam. If you have two vehicles then I would just drift down stream from there until Tobin Lake resort point. Again very Many snags and you will lose lots of hooks so most just use lindy rigs etc here as they are cheap and work about as good as anything.

https://www.rustyhooktobin.com/image...n_Lake_Map.pdf
Best accommodation in the area I found was the Northern Greens Resort and Conference Centre

Good Luck to You

Careful with some of this advice. Im sure CUBE is only trying to be helpful and he is not wrong at all about the wind, waves and snags - kayaking may be a battle.

Drifting down the river to the resort is not an option as the current only really continues until you are out the mouth of the river. At that point she's a long paddle ride to the resort...Perhaps an impossible one if its windy and you wont be able to paddle back upstream either...So you'd be F@cked.
Drifting down river in a kayak will also have you clipping at about mach 2 and you wont be able to fish that way worth a dam (pun intended). The undercurrent that rides though the lake from dam to dam even when the dams are open wont be enough to positively affect your drift under any wind.

Good places to stay on the resort side are obviously the Tobin lake Resort itself, Reel em in cabins is by the launch at Nipawin, Serenity Bay if you're pulling a trailer, Carol's cove on the opposite side, Prudens Point as well. If you kayak my advice would be to fish the nearest available areas to where you are staying and be extra safe. Tobin is deceivingly big.

[Smoky buck]

I understand the warnings with big water but I also have plenty of experience on much larger lakes and ocean in small craft.

A little planing and common sense is needed though. This is why I am looking into access points where I can drive to and drop in kayaks at different locations as well. I will not be relying on traveling by water straight from wherever we choose to stay

[Bushleague]

Originally Posted by Smoky buck

I understand the warnings with big water but I also have plenty of experience on much larger lakes and ocean in small craft.

A little planing and common sense is needed though. This is why I am looking into access points where I can drive to and drop in kayaks at different locations as well. I will not be relying on traveling by water straight from wherever we choose to stay

That's definitely the smart way to use kayaks IMO, portability is your advantage, and this is how you make good use of it. I fish some pretty big water with a canoe, and to be honest, I feel that a few hundred yard paddle back to shore is usually far less risky than trying to motor several kilometers or more back to a boat launch.

Best of luck, cant wait to hear how things go for you.