Bat Lake Fishing near Drayton Valley, Alberta

• Overview

  Out in Brazeau County, Alberta, sits Bat Lake. Elevation runs to 843 metres. It covers about 9 hectares, so this is small water you can walk round in under an hour. Most waters listed here for Brazeau County are larger. The town to know is Drayton Valley, 30 km out. For a city, Edmonton is 79 km off. Local rules may differ a few miles either side of here.

• Where to Fish on Bat Lake

  Our records hold no depth for this water. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Fish documented in Brazeau County include longnose sucker, mountain whitefish and northern pike. Take it as the county picture rather than a promise for this water. The shape of Bat Lake decides where the fish sit.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The year swings from about -13°C in January to roughly 15°C in July. Cold locks it up for a good stretch each year. Break-up comes around late April, and the run that follows is short and strong. In an average year the thaw lands around late April and the freeze near mid November. The shoulder weeks of the open season are the productive ones. The season on Bat Lake follows the weather closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  Who may fish here is not settled in anything we hold. The water borders Alsike Bat Lake Natural Area, so reserve rules are likely to apply. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. Check locally before you travel, because a wasted drive is a long one. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. If the gate is shut, Fifteen Lake at 9.6 km is the nearest alternative. Check the position at Bat Lake before loading the car.