Craven Lake near Grimshaw: Fishing Spots, Seasons and Access

• Overview

  Craven Lake stands in Municipal District of Northern Lights No. 22, Alberta. Around the bank it is spruce and muskeg. At about 24 hectares, a day is enough to walk the shoreline properly. Bank access stretches around 2.7 km in total. You are 26 km from Grimshaw. The nearest city of size is Edmonton, 414 km away. This one is safely inside the county line.

• Where to Fish on Craven Lake

  There is no published depth for this one, so start shallow and work out. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Species logged across Municipal District of Northern Lights No. 22 include longnose sucker, white sucker, northern pike and Arctic grayling. Species recorded across the county may be limited to a few waters. Craven Lake responds to conditions more than to tactics.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Climate normals give 15°C for July and -16°C for January. Water stays cold even at the height of the year. Once it clears, about late April, the fishing comes on quickly. Break-up sits around late April on average, with the water closing again about early November. September and October fish steadily right up to the freeze. Time your trip to Craven Lake by conditions rather than dates.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access is not recorded for this water. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. No built facilities appear in mapping around this water. Light line and small metal for the trout; a fly rod earns its place on calm evenings. A phone call first saves an afternoon. Rules for boats are stricter than rules for the bank in many places. Failing this one, try Garfield Lake, 6.3 km away. Where Craven Lake is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.