The down low on Diefenbaker's low water and fishing

The fish at Lake Diefenbaker appear to be in good supply, despite the lower water levels.

In spite of water levels being at concerningly low levels, the fishing at southern Saskatchewan's biggest body of water seems to be doing just fine.

Casey Rempel, owner-operator of Galloway Bay Outfitters, is a fishing guide on the lake, and has had what some might think is a surprisingly good year so far down on the water.

"Fishing has been average to good," revealed Rempel. "Possibly the lower water makes for fewer places for the fish to hide."

The lower water levels have made more rocks visible and therefore easier to spot a good fishing hole for those who don't already know the lake.

Though lower water levels tend to present more challenges than benefits for most.

"Everyone was a little nervous if you'd be able to launch your boat or not, but it turned out that we were able to launch the boat," Rempel. "The Marina is quite low but it is manageable. You have to just be cautious while leaving the bay until you find the river channel to head down the river or the lake."

Another challenge of low waters is that the Saskatchewan Landing Park hasn't been able to deploy its docks in the low water, making launching a boat more of a wet experience. Individuals with large boats like sail crafts or house boats may be especially challenged by the water level being low at the launch.

"Once you're out on the main lake, basically just staying in the middle of the lake," advised Rempel. "When leaving the Sask Landing Marina, you have to be cautious and know you'll be in about 3 feet of water."

Something that should help the low water levels is the spring runoff from the mountains that is due to arrive in a few weeks. Rempel though, thinks that it may be wise to manage expectations.

"I don't think it will return to where we've seen it before the last two years," Rempel wagered. "I think it might be similar to last summer, which would be a little lower than average through the summer."

When the runoff does arrive, it will bring with it the locked-up water that the mountains hold all winter in the form of snow and ice. When it comes, it usually brings a fair amount of debris, with things like logs and other natural refuse.

"You can expect some debris," warned Rempel. "You have to be cautious, especially on a windy day when you're driving down the river that you just keep your eye out for debris."

Rempel also acts as a hunting guide for waterfowl on Lake Diefenbaker. The low water has also presented challenges to him over the last few years in that line of work.

"Last fall with the low water levels we noticed that the geese weren't congregating in the shallow bays that are usually flooded," conferred Rempel. "Because the water was so level those bays were empty. So it did affect the waterfowl hunting side of my business as well."

It was while sharing this information, that Rempel caught a fish in the middle of the interview. Fishing is clearly going well down on the water.