Fishing Hornpile Lake in Municipal District of Bonnyville No. 87, Alberta

• Overview

  The Municipal District of Bonnyville No. 87 entry here is Hornpile Lake, in Alberta. The ground around here is taiga. It measures about 24 hectares, which is a comfortable size for bank fishing. The edge runs 2.0 km or so, easy to work in an afternoon. St. Paul is the closest place, 16 km off. Edmonton sits 165 km out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. A county line runs close by, so local bylaws can differ within a short drive.

• Where to Fish on Hornpile Lake

  Depth went unrecorded, which puts the reading back on you. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Species logged across Municipal District of Bonnyville No. 87 include yellow perch, Iowa darter, walleye and white sucker. County records show the wider picture rather than this one place. The shape of Hornpile Lake rewards a slow walk along one bank.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The seasonal spread runs -16°C to 16°C. The ice season is long here and the open one short. Count the season from break-up, usually late April. Averages place the thaw at late April and the freeze at mid November. The strongest runs come at either end of the open season. Plan any trip to Hornpile Lake around it.

• Tackle & Baits

  We have no record of the rules that apply on this bank. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. It is recorded as intermittent, which means the basin empties in dry spells. Nothing built is recorded close to the bank here. Where a permit is needed, the nearest town usually sells it. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. Chickenhill Lake sits 2 km off and takes the overflow. Signs at Hornpile Lake carry more weight than any list.