Fishing Pike Lake in Cardston County, Alberta

• Overview

  Out in Cardston County, Alberta, sits Pike Lake. It stands 1,377 metres above sea level. With some 41 hectares of water, there is room for a boat but no need of one. The edge runs 2.6 km or so, easy to work in an afternoon. Our Cardston County list holds plenty of bigger water. Cardston lies 26 km from the water. After that come North Browning at 57 km and Browning at 58 km. No boundary runs near, so the local rules hold throughout.

• Where to Fish on Pike Lake

  No figure exists for depth, so let the water show you. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Reported across Cardston County: longnose sucker, white sucker and mountain whitefish. Some of the species recorded here are protected or tightly regulated, so check what may be targeted before you fish. Pike Lake fishes better once you know its edges.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The range across the year is -7°C to 15°C. Hard water is a season in its own right here. The lid usually sets by midwinter and gives way around mid April. The season between ice runs from about mid April to late November. The strong weeks are the first after break-up and the last before the freeze. The season on Pike Lake rarely departs from it.

• Tackle & Baits

  We have no record of the rules that apply on this bank. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. A camping area sits within 1.4 km of here. Light line and small metal for the trout; a fly rod earns its place on calm evenings. Ask in the nearest town if you are unsure. Night access is frequently treated as a separate matter. Should this one be busy, Outpost Lake is 2.1 km off. For Pike Lake, the notice at the access point is the final word.