Buck Lake Fishing in County of Wetaskiwin No. 10, Alberta

• Overview

  In Alberta, Buck Lake belongs to County of Wetaskiwin No. 10. It stands 878 metres above sea level. At 25.29 sq km you are fishing a fraction of it whatever you do. The perimeter is close to 37 km, and wind can be flat in one arm and rough in the next. Supplies mean a trip to Drayton Valley, 30 km off. Rimbey is 53 km away, with Rocky Mountain House at 70 km. One jurisdiction covers this water end to end.

• Where to Fish on Buck Lake

  No chart reached our records; the first cast is your sounding. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Across County of Wetaskiwin No. 10, recorded fish include yellow perch, walleye, northern pike, white sucker and Prussian carp. Read it as a county summary, not a water-by-water list. Read Buck Lake before you fish it and the day goes better.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Average temperature peaks around 15°C in July and bottoms out near -12°C in January. Cold winters and warm summers give a wide working range. The open season starts with the thaw, near enough late April. In an average year the thaw lands around late April and the freeze near mid November. The open run goes from the thaw to the freeze, and April through October covers most of it. On Buck Lake the same rules apply, with local timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether the bank is open is not something our records settle. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. Nothing is mapped in the way of a ramp or car park within a short radius. Pike mean a wire trace, no exceptions; big spoons and jerkbaits do the searching. Check locally before you travel, because a wasted drive is a long one. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. Should this one be busy, Blindtrail Lake is 20 km off. For Buck Lake in particular, ask before you travel.