John Lake, Alberta: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  The County of Vermilion River No. 24 entry here is John Lake, in Alberta. It sits in boreal forest. At 2.28 sq km this is proper open water rather than a pond. Around 7.5 km of bank, which is a long day on foot. Lloydminster is the closest town at 52 km. Beyond it, Elk Point at 60 km and Vermilion at 69 km. It lies deep inside the county rather than near an edge.

• Where to Fish on John Lake

  Without a survey to go on, judge depth from how the bank falls away. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Open biodiversity records for County of Vermilion River No. 24 list northern pike, logperch, shorthead redhorse and silver redhorse. Those are county-wide records, so not every one of them will be in this water. John Lake repays a walk before the first cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Between January at about -16°C and July at about 17°C, the water has a wide range to work through. Winter owns most of the year at this latitude. Ice-out usually falls in late April, and the weeks after it fish hardest. On the long-run averages the water opens up around late April and starts locking again about mid November. The first weeks of open water and the last are the ones to plan for. Time your trip to John Lake by conditions rather than dates.

• Tackle & Baits

  There is no clear statement anywhere on who can fish it. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. It is recorded as intermittent, which means the basin empties in dry spells. There is no mapped parking or launch nearby, which keeps numbers down. Read any posted signs at the access point rather than assuming. Rules for boats are stricter than rules for the bank in many places. Failing this one, try Lac Dufrance, 5 km away. Check the position on John Lake before loading the car.