Ray Lake, Alberta: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Ray Lake sits within Municipal District of Clear Hills No. 21 in Alberta. Elevation runs to 1,013 metres. This is sizeable water at about 1.32 sq km, and a boat opens up most of it. At about 6.3 km of edge, most people work one arm at a time. Fairview lies 80 km from the water. Edmonton sits 499 km out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. The nearest boundary is a fair way off.

• Where to Fish on Ray Lake

  We hold no survey for this water; read the slope of the shoreline instead. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Species logged across Municipal District of Clear Hills No. 21 include longnose sucker, white sucker and pearl dace. County records show the wider picture rather than this one place. Read Ray Lake for ten minutes before the first cast goes out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  In an average year July sits at 14°C and January at -16°C. Little of the calendar is open water, so timing counts for everything. Ice fishing carries the winter, and the water opens about late April. The water is typically free of ice between late April and early November. From the thaw to midsummer the fishing improves week by week. The season on Ray Lake follows the weather closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  Who may fish here is not settled in anything we hold. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. Formal access is not mapped, so the last stretch is likely on foot. Check locally before you travel, because a wasted drive is a long one. Where tickets apply, they are sold in the nearest town rather than on the bank. If the gate is shut, Running Lake at 5.7 km is the nearest alternative. For Ray Lake in particular, ask before you travel.