The best Saskatoon area fishing holes for free fishing weekend

If you're looking to try your hand at casting a line, Saturday isthe day to start.

Saturday is the start of free fishing weekend in Saskatchewan. That means anybody can go out and fish without a licence on July 9-10.

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"It's just really an opportunity to get people out on the water to try fishing," said Adam Matichuk, fisheries biologist with the Saskatchewan Wildlife Federation.

He said the best fishing holes near Saskatoon include Blackstrap Lake, Brightwater Reservoir, Bradwell Reservoirand Zelma Reservoir.

"With those fisheries, we see our native fish species walleye, northern pike at most of those lakes. Some of them, like Blackstrap and Brightwater for example, have whitefish in them too," Matichuk explained.

"There's a whole variety of species in the river, so there's those and others as well."

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If you're not able to make it out of the city, he said the Saskatoon Wildlife Federation has a trout pond stocked with rainbow trout at their facility that is open to the public.

"It's great to go out and catch fish and take them home and eat them I think that's very much the fishing experience," said Matichuk.

"But it's also OK to catch and release those fish and, you know, just to enjoy the time out fishing and then catching fish as well."

The Saskatchewan free fishing weekend does not include national parks.

Tips for new anglers

• Check the regulations throughthe Angler's guide.
• Check the weather before you head out.
• Let somebody know where you're going and when you're expected to be back, just for safety reasons.