North Wabasca Lake Fishing near Wabasca-Desmarais, Alberta

• Overview

  Set in Municipal District of Opportunity No. 17, North Wabasca Lake is an Alberta water. The surface lies 540 metres up. At 99.53 sq km you are fishing a fraction of it whatever you do. The shoreline turns in and out enough to give you a choice of aspect. You are 9.8 km from Wabasca-Desmarais. The nearest city of size is Edmonton, 279 km away. No boundary runs near, so the local rules hold throughout.

• Where to Fish on North Wabasca Lake

  No published figure covers depth, so learn it as you fish. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Reported across Municipal District of Opportunity No. 17: yellow perch, cisco, walleye, Arctic grayling and lake whitefish. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. North Wabasca Lake repays a walk before the first cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July runs about 16°C on average, January about -18°C. The window is narrow, and fish feed hard while it lasts. Hard water holds through the cold months, breaking up near late April. In an average year the thaw lands around late April and the freeze near mid November. September and October fish steadily right up to the freeze. Keep it in mind when planning a trip to North Wabasca Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access is not recorded for this water. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. Access points are not mapped for this water, which suits people who like quiet. Light line and small metal for the trout; a fly rod earns its place on calm evenings. Where access is informal, keep it that way by behaving. Barbless rules turn up on managed water more often than not. Godin Lake, 10 km away, makes the obvious fallback. Check the position at North Wabasca Lake before loading the car.