Trail Lake Fishing near Lac La Biche, Alberta

• Overview

  Out in Lac la Biche County, Alberta, sits Trail Lake. Height above sea level is 577 metres. The water covers some 22 hectares, so pick a bank rather than trying to cover it all. The full circuit measures close to 2.3 km on foot. On size it sits at the modest end of our Lac la Biche County list. Head to Lac La Biche, 16 km away, for anything you forgot. The nearest city of size is Edmonton, 156 km away. The nearest edge is a long way off, so local rules apply throughout.

• Where to Fish on Trail Lake

  No depth figure has reached our records, which makes a plummet useful. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Across Lac la Biche County, recorded fish include northern pike, yellow perch, white sucker, walleye and Iowa darter. The county list is broader than any single water. Treat Trail Lake as a water to read rather than to cover.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages here run 16°C at the top of summer and -16°C at the bottom of winter. This far north the hard season runs and runs. Once it clears, about late April, the fishing comes on quickly. Break-up near late April, freeze-up near mid November: that is the shape of an average year. Fishing peaks soon after break-up and again before the cold returns. The season on Trail Lake follows the weather closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  There is no clear statement anywhere on who can fish it. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. Access is unmapped, which usually means a farm track and a walk. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Check locally before you travel, because a wasted drive is a long one. Fishing rules and camping rules are set separately here. Tent Lake sits 5.1 km off and takes the overflow. For Trail Lake in particular, ask before you travel.