Fishing at May Lake, Municipal District of Bonnyville No. 87, Alberta

• Overview

  May Lake sits in Municipal District of Bonnyville No. 87, out in Alberta. It sits in boreal forest country. Surface area runs to roughly 3.26 sq km, so plan for one area rather than the whole. You are looking at roughly 9.8 km of shoreline, with plenty of water between access points. Nearest place of any size is Cold Lake, 31 km away. The nearest city of size is Edmonton, 239 km away. No county line comes close, which keeps the paperwork simple.

• Where to Fish on May Lake

  No chart reached our records; the first cast is your sounding. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Public occurrence data for Municipal District of Bonnyville No. 87 names yellow perch, Iowa darter and walleye. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. The shape of May Lake rewards a slow walk along one bank.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages here run 16°C at the top of summer and -16°C at the bottom of winter. This far north the hard season runs and runs. Winter locks it down, and late April brings it back. Going by climate averages, expect open water from about late April until roughly early November. Just after the ice goes and just before it returns, the fishing lifts. The season on May Lake rarely departs from it.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing in our records says who may fish here. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. We find no slipway, car park or made path within a short radius, so treat access as rough. A wire trace and a big bright lure handle the pike; deep water asks for a heavier spoon. 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 Bourque Lake, 11 km away. Confirm access to May Lake locally before you travel.