Upper Kananaskis Lake Fishing in Kananaskis Improvement District, Alberta

• Overview

  You will find Upper Kananaskis Lake in Kananaskis Improvement District, Alberta. Around the bank it is lake country bush. About 8.39 sq km, so local knowledge or a boat saves a lot of walking. Some 17 km of bank gives room to move when the wind turns. Of the waters listed here in Kananaskis Improvement District, this is the largest. 54 km away sits Canmore, the nearest town. The big place round here is Calgary, 89 km distant. The nearest boundary is a fair way off.

• Where to Fish on Upper Kananaskis Lake

  We hold no depth figure for this one. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Across Kananaskis Improvement District, recorded fish include mountain whitefish, brook trout and brown trout. At least one recorded species is protected in parts of its range; read the local rules before targeting anything. On Upper Kananaskis Lake that means starting tight and working out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages here run 11°C at the top of summer and -12°C at the bottom of winter. Cold winters and warm summers give a wide working range. Count the season from break-up, usually mid May. Averages suggest open water from about mid May through to roughly early November. Reckon on open water from spring through to late autumn, with May and June the strongest. That is the shape of the year on Upper Kananaskis Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether the bank is open is not something our records settle. Records list it as a dammed water rather than a natural one, which shows in the shape of the basin. No made access appears within a short radius, so plan to park on a verge and walk. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. Bank access can be seasonal on ground like this. Where the way in crosses private ground, ask first. The nearest alternative is Rawson Lake, 2.9 km out. The position on Upper Kananaskis Lake is worth confirming on the day.