Buttress Lake near Jasper: Fishing Spots, Seasons and Access

• Overview

  Jasper in Alberta is where Buttress Lake sits. The water sits 2,004 metres up. It covers about 8 hectares, so this is small water you can walk round in under an hour. It sits higher than most water we list in Alberta. 25 km away sits Jasper, the nearest town. Kamloops sits 269 km out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. No county line comes close, which keeps the paperwork simple.

• Where to Fish on Buttress Lake

  Our records carry no depth, so judge it from the bank. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. Survey and observation records for Jasper include rainbow trout, longnose sucker, brook trout and bull trout. Some of the species recorded here are protected or tightly regulated, so check what may be targeted before you fish. At Buttress Lake the first feature you find is worth twenty minutes.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warmest month averages 9°C, the coldest about -12°C. Winter shuts things down for a spell, then spring reopens them fast. The freeze runs deep into the year, with break-up near late May. On the long-run averages the water opens up around late May and starts locking again about late October. Spring is short and heavy here; autumn is longer and steadier. It sets the rhythm of the year at Buttress Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  The rules here are undocumented as far as public sources go. No launch point is recorded nearby, so this is a bank water unless you carry a boat in. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Parking is often the real limit rather than the bank itself. Where tickets apply, they are sold in the nearest town rather than on the bank. If the gate is shut, Beryl Lake at 1.7 km is the nearest alternative. Check the position on Buttress Lake before loading the car.