Kinky Lake Fishing in Yellowhead County, Alberta

• Overview

  In Alberta, Kinky Lake belongs to Yellowhead County. The water sits 1,151 metres up. It runs to roughly 15 hectares — big enough to hold fish away from the bank, small enough to learn. The bank runs about 1.6 km all the way round, so one visit can cover most of it. You are 19 km from Hinton. For a city, Edmonton is 287 km off. The nearest boundary is well away, so one set of rules covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Kinky Lake

  There is no published depth for this one, so start shallow and work out. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Reported across Yellowhead County: rainbow trout, mountain whitefish, brook trout and bull trout. Protected fish appear in the records for this area, so treat the list as information, not an invitation. Anyone new to Kinky Lake should walk it once before setting up.

• Seasonal Patterns

  In an average year July sits at 14°C and January at -10°C. Cold winters and warm summers give a wide working range. Winter locks it down, and mid April brings it back. The open-water window runs from around mid April to about mid November in an average year. May into June fishes hardest, and September gives a second good stretch before the lid returns. On Kinky Lake that shapes the whole year.

• Tackle & Baits

  The rules here are undocumented as far as public sources go. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. The nearest car park is 300 m from the water. A camping area sits within 340 m of here. Light line and small metal for the trout; a fly rod earns its place on calm evenings. Check locally before you travel, because a wasted drive is a long one. Keep proof of licence with you rather than in the car. Kia Nea Lake at 1.2 km is the sensible second choice. Check the current arrangement for Kinky Lake.