Fishing McFadden Lake in Strathcona County, Alberta

• Overview

  Out in Strathcona County, Alberta, sits McFadden Lake. The country round it is rolling bush from end to end. At about 72 hectares, a day is enough to walk the shoreline properly. The edge runs 4.2 km or so, easy to work in an afternoon. On size it sits at the modest end of our Strathcona County list. Head to Tamarack, 16 km away, for anything you forgot. Edmonton is the closest city, 26 km away. Two sets of local rules meet not far from this water.

• Where to Fish on McFadden Lake

  Nothing in our records gives a depth for this one. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. County-wide records name northern pike, yellow perch, cisco and rainbow trout. Read it as a county summary, not a water-by-water list. At McFadden Lake the first feature you find is worth twenty minutes.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The seasonal spread runs -14°C to 16°C. Winter puts a hard lid on this one. The lid usually sets by midwinter and gives way around late April. In an average year the thaw lands around late April and the freeze near mid November. Late spring and early autumn carry the year between them. It holds true on McFadden Lake more years than not.

• Tackle & Baits

  The access position is unclear from public sources. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. Access points are not mapped for this water, which suits people who like quiet. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Season dates differ by species, so read the table. Where the way in crosses private ground, ask first. Woodenpan Lake, 6 km away, makes the obvious fallback. The position on McFadden Lake is worth confirming on the day.