St. Ives Lake in County of Vermilion River No. 24: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  St. Ives Lake lies in County of Vermilion River No. 24, Alberta. The bank is 603 metres above sea level. At 1.99 sq km this is proper open water rather than a pond. With 11 km or so of shoreline, boat anglers cover ground the bank cannot. Nearest town is Lloydminster, 26 km off. Then Vermilion, 43 km, and Elk Point, 66 km. The nearest boundary is a fair way off.

• Where to Fish on St. Ives Lake

  No depth figure appears in our records, so the bank has to tell you. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Across County of Vermilion River No. 24, recorded fish include northern pike, logperch, shorthead redhorse and silver redhorse. Take it as the county picture rather than a promise for this water. On St. Ives Lake the quiet end is the one worth the extra effort.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect July to average close to 16°C, with January the cold end at about -16°C. The freeze holds for the better part of the year. Winter locks it down, and late April brings it back. Open water usually runs from late April until about mid November. Early summer and early autumn carry the open-water season. St. Ives Lake fishes to that pattern most years.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public data does not answer the access question here. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. Nothing is mapped in the way of a ramp or car park within a short radius. A wire trace and a big bright lure handle the pike; deep water asks for a heavier spoon. Rules for this water may differ from the county norm. Check whether bait restrictions apply before you buy any. Should this one be busy, Tyler Lake is 14 km off. For St. Ives Lake, the notice at the access point is the final word.