Stoney Lake, Alberta: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  The County of St. Paul No. 19 end of Alberta holds Stoney Lake. It sits in spruce and muskeg country. It measures some 2.31 sq km, and wind has room to build across it. There is roughly 8.3 km of bank, more than one visit can cover properly. Elk Point lies 13 km from the water. Edmonton is the closest city, 160 km away. It lies deep inside the county rather than near an edge.

• Where to Fish on Stoney Lake

  Depth is unknown to us, and the shoreline is the better guide. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Across County of St. Paul No. 19, recorded fish include yellow perch, Iowa darter and northern pike. Records at this level tell you what is in the area. At Stoney Lake light and wind decide more than tackle does.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages here run 16°C at the top of summer and -16°C at the bottom of winter. Ice holds for a long stretch, so the open weeks matter more here than further south. Firm cover through the cold months, then open water from late April. In an average year the thaw lands around late April and the freeze near mid November. Right after break-up, and again as the nights sharpen, is when to go. Plan around that when you fish Stoney Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  The rules here are undocumented as far as public sources go. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. Nothing formal is recorded here: no ramp, no car park, no marked path. Pike mean a wire trace, no exceptions; big spoons and jerkbaits do the searching. Provincial rules still apply whatever the bank status. Signs go up and come down, so check on the day. Lac Flammand, 4.9 km away, makes the obvious fallback. None of that is settled for Stoney Lake in what we hold.