Fishing at Vermilion Lake, Alberta, Alberta

• Overview

  Within Alberta, you have Vermilion Lake. What surrounds it is taiga. At 6.39 sq km this is proper open water rather than a pond. Some 12 km of bank gives room to move when the wind turns. Few waters listed in Alberta are bigger. Start from Hay River, 110 km down the road. The nearest city of size is Edmonton, 714 km away. The nearest boundary is well away, so one set of rules covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Vermilion Lake

  Depth is unmeasured here, so let the shoreline guide you. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. At Vermilion Lake the water rewards a slow, careful approach. Rain running in from a ditch brings food with it.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Seasonal averages run from -22°C in January up to 16°C in July. The year here is short and sharp: a long lid, then a burst of open water. Winter fishing happens on the ice here, with open water back around early May. The open-water window runs from around early May to about early November in an average year. September and October fish steadily right up to the freeze. It holds true on Vermilion Lake more years than not.

• Tackle & Baits

  Our records carry no access rule either way. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. Formal access is not mapped, so the last stretch is likely on foot. Where the road in crosses private land, ask first. Rules for boats are stricter than rules for the bank in many places. If the gate is shut, Buchan Lake at 8.5 km is the nearest alternative. Nothing here settles the position at Vermilion Lake for certain.