Saskatchewan’s Cree River belongs on every pike angler’s bucket list—especially if you fly fish. Here’s why

There’s no moment in fishing quite like it. You’re standing on the bow of a boat in two feet of water, retrieving a six-inch-long fly through the reeds when you see it: a V-shaped wake slicing toward your fly, as a huge toothy predator locks onto its target. Your heart’s in your throat, and your hand is slick with sweat, but you have to keep stripping or the fish will turn away. Then it happens—a flash of white as a giant mouth opens and engulfs your fly. The line comes tight, the water erupts in a head-shaking fury, and it’s on…

I’ve chased northern pike across much of their range, from weedy potholes to sprawling Canadian Shield lakes and tannin-stained rivers. But nowhere—nowhere—have I seen fish like those in Saskatchewan’s Cree River system. This June, during four days on the Cree, our group of four anglers landed 18 trophy-class pike, all on the fly, with over half of them sight-fished in skinny water. These weren’t just long fish; they were thick, broad-shouldered northerns that clearly spent their entire lives gorging on the river’s plentiful forage. Every one of us landed multiple trophies, and more than once we watched fish compete to crush a fly.

As it happened, conditions aligned perfectly for us, with sunny skies, light winds and daytime highs in the 15 to 20C range. Every day, the shallow bays lit up with fish. By the end of our trip to Cree River Lodge, our quartet had out-fished the other 16 conventional anglers in camp combined. It was a testament to the power of the fly under the right conditions—and the sheer quality of this fishery. If you’ve ever dreamed of casting big flies to giant, wake-throwing pike in clear water, the Cree River deserves a spot on your bucket list. Here are eight reasons why…