Brokenleg Lake Fishing near Canmore, Alberta

• Overview

  The Municipal District of Bighorn No. 8 entry here is Brokenleg Lake, in Alberta. The country here is lake country bush. With some 31 hectares of water, there is room for a boat but no need of one. The bank runs about 4.7 km all the way round, so one visit can cover most of it. Head to Canmore, 23 km away, for anything you forgot. Then Banff, 35 km, and Cochrane, 42 km. Rules here are straightforward: one set of provincial rules.

• Where to Fish on Brokenleg Lake

  Depth is not on record here, so the bank has to tell you. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Open biodiversity records for Municipal District of Bighorn No. 8 list mountain whitefish, brown trout, brook trout, longnose sucker and white sucker. Several of these carry legal protection or closed seasons; the rulebook comes before the rod. At Brokenleg Lake the water rewards a slow, careful approach.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July runs about 13°C on average, January about -9°C. The middle months are generous; the ends are demanding. The lid usually sets by midwinter and gives way around late April. The open-water window runs from around late April to about mid November in an average year. The middle of summer slows a little, with dawn and dusk carrying it. Time your trip to Brokenleg Lake by conditions rather than dates.

• Tackle & Baits

  We hold no note on access for this one. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. 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. Rules for this water may differ from the county norm. Signs go up and come down, so check on the day. The nearest alternative is Kangienos Lake, 11 km out. Check the current arrangement for Brokenleg Lake.