Fishing Bighorn Lake in Improvement District No. 9, Alberta

• Overview

  You will find Bighorn Lake in Improvement District No. 9, Alberta. The surface lies 2,354 metres up. It covers about 2 hectares, so this is small water you can walk round in under an hour. Banff lies 32 km from the water. The big place round here is Calgary, 118 km distant. In the same area: Wigmore Lake about 4.7 km, Cuthead Lake within 7.4 km, Rainbow Lake about 13 km, Goat Lake within 15 km and Panther Lake about 15 km. It sits well inside its county, with no border complications.

• Where to Fish on Bighorn Lake

  There is no recorded depth, so work from what you can see. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Species logged across Improvement District No. 9 include brook trout, bull trout, cutthroat trout, mountain whitefish and rainbow trout. Some of the species recorded here are protected or tightly regulated, so check what may be targeted before you fish. On Bighorn Lake a short move beats a long cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-run averages give August about 9°C and January about -13°C. A solid cap is the normal state through winter. The lid arrives early and lasts until roughly early June. Ice clears near early June and comes back about late October in a typical year. Spring is short and heavy here; autumn is longer and steadier. It holds true on Bighorn Lake more years than not.

• Tackle & Baits

  The rules here are undocumented as far as public sources go. No made access appears within a short radius, so plan to park on a verge and walk. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. Take the rules with you rather than trusting memory. Barbless rules turn up on managed water more often than not. The nearest alternative is Wigmore Lake, 4.7 km out. Rules at Bighorn Lake are worth checking on the day.