Kimowin Lake Fishing in Wood Buffalo, Alberta

• Overview

  The Wood Buffalo end of Alberta holds Kimowin Lake. It stands 465 metres above sea level. At 8.47 sq km this is proper open water rather than a pond. The perimeter is close to 29 km, and wind can be flat in one arm and rough in the next. Fort McMurray is the closest place, 98 km off. Then Buffalo Narrows, 107 km, and Cold Lake, 193 km. One jurisdiction covers this water end to end.

• Where to Fish on Kimowin Lake

  Nothing in our records gives a depth for this one. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Across Wood Buffalo, recorded fish include longnose sucker, Arctic grayling, white sucker and mountain whitefish. The county figures include rivers and lakes alike. The shape of Kimowin Lake decides where the fish sit.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect July to average close to 16°C, with January the cold end at about -19°C. The freeze holds for the better part of the year. Winter fishing happens on the ice here, with open water back around late April. Going by climate averages, expect open water from about late April until roughly early November. Right after break-up, and again as the nights sharpen, is when to go. Kimowin Lake runs to that rhythm year in and year out.

• Tackle & Baits

  The paperwork position is blank for this one. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. We find no slipway, car park or made path within a short radius, so treat access as rough. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Provincial rules still apply whatever the bank status. Check whether bait restrictions apply before you buy any. Formby Lake sits 7.1 km off and takes the overflow. Check the position at Kimowin Lake before loading the car.