Washing Lake in Hay Lakes: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  In Alberta, Washing Lake belongs to Hay Lakes. It stands 753 metres above sea level. At 7 hectares it is the sort of place you fish for an evening rather than a day. It is one of the smaller waters we list in Hay Lakes. Some 23 km away sits Millet, the nearest settlement. For a city, Edmonton is 49 km off. No boundary runs near, so the local rules hold throughout.

• Where to Fish on Washing Lake

  Open data we checked carries no depth for this water. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. The shape of Washing Lake rewards a slow walk along one bank. Rocky edges hold food that silt bottoms do not.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages here run 16°C at the top of summer and -14°C at the bottom of winter. Four clear seasons, with a proper winter at one end. Break-up comes around late April, and the run that follows is short and strong. Climate figures give an open season running late April to mid November. June through September is the settled part of the year, with the shoulders busier for fish. Keep it in mind when planning a trip to Washing Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access is not recorded for this water. Records show it does not hold water year-round. No made access appears within a short radius, so plan to park on a verge and walk. Bank access can be seasonal on ground like this. Where parking is tight, arriving early solves most problems. Failing this one, try Missing Lake, 2.2 km away. Treat access at Washing Lake as something to verify.