Carey Lake near St. Paul: Fishing Spots, Seasons and Access

• Overview

  Carey Lake lies in County of St. Paul No. 19, Alberta. The bank gives way to northern bush. At about 13 hectares, a day is enough to walk the shoreline properly. Some 19 km away sits St. Paul, the nearest settlement. After that come Two Hills at 40 km and Elk Point at 46 km. Not far off: Smith Lake lies 2.4 km on, Lottie Lake at 2.4 km, Batty Lake lies 6.9 km on, Saddle Lake at 8.1 km and Camp Lake lies 9.6 km on. It sits well inside its county, with no border complications.

• Where to Fish on Carey Lake

  Depth is unmeasured here, so let the shoreline guide you. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Public occurrence data for County of St. Paul No. 19 names yellow perch, Iowa darter, northern pike, white sucker and walleye. Records at this level tell you what is in the area. The shape of Carey Lake decides where the fish sit.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages move between -16°C in January and 16°C in July. Winter owns most of the year at this latitude. Break-up comes around late April, and the run that follows is short and strong. Ice clears near late April and comes back about mid November in a typical year. Right after break-up, and again as the nights sharpen, is when to go. On Carey Lake the same rules apply, with local timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing in our records says who may fish here. Mapping flags this water as intermittent: it can be dry for part of the year, so check before travelling. Access points are not mapped for this water, which suits people who like quiet. For the pike, wire up and throw larger lures along the weed edges. Rules differ from one water to the next round here. Rules for boats are stricter than rules for the bank in many places. Smith Lake, 2.4 km away, makes the obvious fallback. None of that is settled for Carey Lake in what we hold.