Fishing Clyde Lake in Lac la Biche County, Alberta

• Overview

  The Lac la Biche County end of Alberta holds Clyde Lake. The land about it is boreal forest. It covers about 11.47 sq km, which means weather matters as much as tactics. The shoreline runs to about 34 km, far more than one trip can cover. On our Lac la Biche County list it sits near the top for size. You are 68 km from Lac La Biche. Bonnyville is 125 km and Cold Lake 125 km. One jurisdiction covers this water end to end.

• Where to Fish on Clyde Lake

  Depth went unrecorded, which puts the reading back on you. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Survey and observation records for Lac la Biche County include northern pike, yellow perch, white sucker, walleye and Iowa darter. The county figures include rivers and lakes alike. At Clyde Lake the water rewards a slow, careful approach.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages here run 15°C at the top of summer and -18°C at the bottom of winter. Cold dominates the calendar on water this far north. Hard water holds through the cold months, breaking up near late April. In an average year the thaw lands around late April and the freeze near early November. Just after the ice goes and just before it returns, the fishing lifts. That is the shape of the year on Clyde Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  We hold no note on access for this one. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. Mapping is blank for access, so scout the approach before committing the car. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Where access is informal, keep it that way by behaving. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. Failing this one, try Behan Lake, 5.6 km away. Check the position at Clyde Lake before loading the car.