Icefall Lake near Jasper: Fishing Spots, Seasons and Access

• Overview

  Out in British Columbia, sits Icefall Lake. It sits at 1,707 metres above sea level. The water covers some 29 hectares, so pick a bank rather than trying to cover it all. The full circuit measures close to 2.4 km on foot. On size it sits at the modest end of our British Columbia list. Head to Jasper, 30 km away, for anything you forgot. Further out sit Jasper Park Lodge (32 km) and Valemount (63 km). The nearest boundary is well away, so one set of rules covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Icefall Lake

  There is no published depth for this one, so start shallow and work out. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Fish Icefall Lake where the bottom changes rather than where it looks deep.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Climate normals give 9°C for August and -12°C for December. Cold locks it up for a good stretch each year. Winter locks it down, and late May brings it back. Break-up sits around late May on average, with the water closing again about late October. The strong weeks are the first after break-up and the last before the freeze. It sets the rhythm of the year at Icefall Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Who may fish here is not settled in anything we hold. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. Formal access is not mapped, so the last stretch is likely on foot. Parking space is the usual limit rather than the bank itself. Keep proof of licence with you rather than in the car. The nearest alternative is Jade Lake, 2.3 km out. Where Icefall Lake is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.