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

#2  There is no better place to land a huge fish on the fly rod

For fly anglers—especially those from the United States, where pike are uncommon or not recognized as the spectacular gamefish they are—the Cree system might be the best freshwater fly-fishing destination you’ve never heard of. Most people picture throwing spoons and spinners for pike, but these waters flip that script entirely. With sprawling weedbeds, shallow bays and channels alive with baitfish, this water feels custom-built for the long rod. Even better, it’s often clear enough for classic sight-fishing, letting anglers play the “cast 40 feet at 2 o’clock” game usually reserved for tropical flats.

Of course, conventional anglers do exceptionally well here too, but for fly anglers there are few better places to get big pike on the long rod. At some northern lodges, fly anglers can feel like second-class citizens in a world built around hardware. Not here. The guides understand the needs of fly anglers, from positioning the boat for a proper backcast, to knowing when to slow down and let you work a promising bay.

That’s not hyperbole. Cree River Lodge has even outfitted a few boats with saltwater-style poling platforms, so guides can quietly push anglers into the perfect position for a cast. For pike enthusiasts, this is the holy grail: shallow, clear water; aggressive fish and the chance to throw big flies—including topwater patterns—at very large fish.

And there’s another wrinkle: Unlike fly fishing for bonefish or tarpon, which requires a fairly high level of technical skill, pike aren’t all that hard to hook on the fly. As massive apex predators, they’re not terribly spooky, and they like to eat. So if you’re a trout angler who’s always dreamed of a big fish, but you’re not ready for saltwater, this is an excellent chance to land a truly big fish.