Fishing Gong Lake in Yellowhead County, Alberta

• Overview

  The Yellowhead County entry here is Gong Lake, in Alberta. Everything around it is lake country bush. Roughly 82 hectares: a morning covers one end, an afternoon the other. Around 5.0 km of bank, which is a long day on foot. It sits higher than most water we list in Alberta. Head to Jasper Park Lodge, 64 km away, for anything you forgot. Jasper is 64 km away, with Hinton at 113 km. This one is safely inside the county line.

• Where to Fish on Gong Lake

  Depth figures are not published for this one. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Survey and observation records for Yellowhead County include rainbow trout, mountain whitefish, brook trout, bull trout and Iowa darter. Some of the species recorded here are protected or tightly regulated, so check what may be targeted before you fish. The shape of Gong Lake decides where the fish sit.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-term averages put August at about 11°C and December near -12°C. The freeze arrives properly here and holds. Look for the thaw near mid May; the fishing lifts straight after. The water is typically free of ice between mid May and early November. May into June fishes hardest, and September gives a second good stretch before the lid returns. That is the shape of the year on Gong Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public sources are silent on who controls the bank. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. Mapping records no facilities at all near this water. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Provincial rules still apply whatever the bank status. Some water is controlled locally without a sign saying so. For a change of water, Fortress Lake is 14 km distant. Check the position on Gong Lake before loading the car.