Shooting Lake Fishing in County of Stettler No. 6, Alberta

• Overview

  Set in County of Stettler No. 6, Shooting Lake is an Alberta water. Country round the bank runs to rolling bush. Roughly 4.64 sq km of surface: treat each bay as a water in its own right. Some 22 km of bank gives room to move when the wind turns. Supplies mean a trip to Stettler, 29 km off. Red Deer is the closest city, 99 km away. There is no boundary nearby to worry about.

• Where to Fish on Shooting Lake

  Depth is unknown to us, and the shoreline is the better guide. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. At Shooting Lake the first feature you find is worth twenty minutes. The same spot fishes differently at either end of the day.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages move between -13°C in January and 17°C in July. Cold winters and warm summers give a wide working range. Winter locks it down, and mid April brings it back. Climate figures give an open season running mid April to mid November. The open run goes from the thaw to the freeze, and April through October covers most of it. Plan any trip to Shooting Lake around it.

• Tackle & Baits

  The access position is unclear from public sources. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. Access is unmapped, which usually means a farm track and a walk. A phone call first saves an afternoon. Some ground is open by custom rather than by right, so tread carefully. If the gate is shut, Cutbank Lake at 14 km is the nearest alternative. Signs at Shooting Lake carry more weight than any list.