Yoke Lake in County of Grande Prairie No. 1: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Alberta holds Yoke Lake, in County of Grande Prairie No. 1. Around the bank it is lake country bush. The water covers some 55 hectares, so pick a bank rather than trying to cover it all. The margin runs to about 5.4 km in total. Nearest place of any size is Beaverlodge, 15 km away. Wembley lies 35 km off, Westlake another 55 km. Rules here are straightforward: one set of provincial rules.

• Where to Fish on Yoke Lake

  No depth figure has reached our records, which makes a plummet useful. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. County of Grande Prairie No. 1 records list longnose sucker, white sucker, largescale sucker, Arctic grayling and mountain whitefish among the fish reported. At least one recorded species is protected in parts of its range; read the local rules before targeting anything. Fish Yoke Lake to its features, not to its size.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect July to average close to 15°C, with January the cold end at about -12°C. Expect a real winter and a strong spring after it. Ice fishing carries the winter, and the water opens about mid April. The water is typically free of ice between mid April and mid November. The strongest runs come at either end of the open season. Keep it in mind when planning a trip to Yoke Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  There is no clear statement anywhere on who can fish it. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. There is no mapped parking or launch nearby, which keeps numbers down. Light line and small metal for the trout; a fly rod earns its place on calm evenings. Take the rules with you rather than trusting memory. Where tickets apply, they are sold in the nearest town rather than on the bank. For a change of water, Fowel Lake is 2.8 km distant. Rules at Yoke Lake are worth checking on the day.