Annabel Lake in Yellowhead County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  You will find Annabel Lake in Yellowhead County, Alberta. It lies 958 metres above sea level. It measures about 63 hectares, which is a comfortable size for bank fishing. Bank access stretches around 3.8 km in total. 20 km away sits Edson, the nearest town. It is 215 km to Edmonton, the nearest city. One jurisdiction covers this water end to end.

• Where to Fish on Annabel Lake

  Depth figures are not published for this one. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Yellowhead County records list rainbow trout, mountain whitefish and brook trout among the fish reported. Some of the species recorded here are protected or tightly regulated, so check what may be targeted before you fish. Annabel Lake responds to conditions more than to tactics.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The range across the year is -12°C to 15°C. Expect a real winter and a strong spring after it. Once it clears, about mid April, the fishing comes on quickly. On the long-run averages the water opens up around mid April and starts locking again about mid November. Reckon on open water from spring through to late autumn, with May and June the strongest. Time your trip to Annabel Lake by conditions rather than dates.

• Tackle & Baits

  There is no clear statement anywhere on who can fish it. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. Nothing formal is recorded here: no ramp, no car park, no marked path. Light line and small metal for the trout; a fly rod earns its place on calm evenings. A phone call first saves an afternoon. Rules for boats are stricter than rules for the bank in many places. Millers Lake, 4.4 km away, makes the obvious fallback. Where Annabel Lake is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.