Base Lake Fishing in Wood Buffalo, Alberta

• Overview

  In Alberta, Base Lake falls inside Wood Buffalo. The setting is taiga. At 1.63 sq km this is proper open water rather than a pond. Some 11 km of bank gives room to move when the wind turns. Supplies mean a trip to Lac La Biche, 98 km off. Fort McMurray is 123 km away, with Wabasca-Desmarais at 130 km. Rules here are straightforward: one set of provincial rules.

• Where to Fish on Base Lake

  Without a survey to go on, judge depth from how the bank falls away. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Survey and observation records for Wood Buffalo include longnose sucker, Arctic grayling and white sucker. The list covers the county rather than this water alone, so treat it as a guide. On Base Lake the quiet end is the one worth the extra effort.

• Seasonal Patterns

  In an average year July sits at 15°C and January at -20°C. A short, intense season is the rule this far north. Count on hard cover from midwinter, and open water from late April. On the long-run averages the water opens up around late April and starts locking again about early November. Reckon on open water from spring through to late autumn, with May and June the strongest. It sets the rhythm of the year at Base Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  No public source sets out the position on this bank. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. Nothing built is recorded close to the bank here. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Rules for this water may differ from the county norm. Rules for boats are stricter than rules for the bank in many places. For a change of water, Caribou Lake is 19 km distant. Check the position at Base Lake before loading the car.