Favourite lakes?

[trigger7mm]

What are 5 of your favourite lakes from years past? My top 5 would be...
1/ Fawcett
2/ Moose
3/ Slave
4/ Spring (grew up there catching big trout in the '70s)
5/ Osoyoos (in B.C. great bass fishing)

[SNAPFisher]

1. Frank lake #1
2. Frank lake #2
3. Frank lake #3
4. Frank lake #4
5. The lake next to Frank Lake #4

Sorry, couldn't resist

[SNAPFisher]

But seriously:

1. Maligne
2. Pigeon - kicks my arse a lot for whites but when it is good...
3. Talbot (Jasper)
4. Calling
5. Cold

[StiksnStrings]

Erie
LOTW
Calling
Cold
Beaver

[mlee]

From years past....going back about 20-25

1 pinehurst
2 siebert
3 Heart
4 Wolf
5 dried meat (just because we had a family cabin there and it used to be a great lake)

[SouthWestRanger]

1. Shuswap- Main arm
2. Shuswap- Antsey arm
3. Shuswap- Seymour arm
4. Little Shuswap
5. Newell

Figured each arm was its own lake so why not

[Peace Country]

Aylmer Lake
Clinton-Colden Lake
Lac de Gras Lake
Courageous Lake
Jolly Lake
All located on the NWT barrenlands.

[stein]

Lesser Slave
South buck
Gull
Sylvan
Grandpa's stocked pond

[Woodmonkey]

These are definitely from years past. Mostly 70's and early 80's
1. Ironwood
( tons of great family memories there. Back in the 70's-80's there were so many great lakes to fish up in Lakeland area that are now a shadow of what they were due to 25-35 years of drought, low lake levels, etc, etc...)

2. Fawcett (Spent many, many weekends and big family holidays there in the mid-late 70's and had some fantastic walleye/pike fishing)

3. Fork Lake (family cabin there)

4. Baptiste

5. Beaver ( Lakeland)

[trigger7mm]

These are definitely from years past. Mostly 70's and early 80's
1. Ironwood
( tons of great family memories there. Back in the 70's-80's there were so many great lakes to fish up in Lakeland area that are now a shadow of what they were due to 25-35 years of drought, low lake levels, etc, etc...)

2. Fawcett (Spent many, many weekends and big family holidays there in the mid-late 70's and had some fantastic walleye/pike fishing)

3. Fork Lake (family cabin there)

4. Baptiste

5. Beaver ( Lakeland)

Ironwood, that’s another one I could add to my list!

[trigger7mm]

From years past....going back about 20-25

1 pinehurst
2 siebert
3 Heart
4 Wolf
5 dried meat (just because we had a family cabin there and it used to be a great lake)

Heart, that’s a great one too.

[fish99]

1. cold lake
2. lake newell
3. pigeon lake
4.kananaskis lakes
5. 40 mile

[trigger7mm]

Pigeon, love the fishing in the summer, the crowds, not so much.
Add Tobin to the list.

[AlbertanGP]

Any lake with limited access and decent fishing. It doesn’t have to have huge monsters or even incredible fishing…just a decent chance to catch fish. But it has to feel like I’m out in the wilderness and it has to be highly unlikely I see anyone else. Pretty scenery, no people and the odd finned visitor…Heaven.

[JohninAB]

My top 5:

1) Murray Lake, Sask. Family cabin. Spent my youth here. Memories galore.
2) Kawaweogama Lake, NW Ont.
3) Lac Seul, NW Ont
4) Sturgeon Lake, AB
5) Cold Lake, AB

[mooseknuckle]

1. Lower Mann lake
2. Wabamun
3. Pigeon
4. Fawcett
5. Wolf

[Coiloil37]

Graham
Peerless
Lesser slave
Cold
Candle

[Prairiewolf]

1. Moose
2. Pyramid
3. McLeod (Carson Pegasus)
4. Oldman Dam
5. Ghost

[barbless]

From years ago Lac Seul NW Ont (Right out of Sioux Lookout)
Duck Lake BC
When we don't get blown off the lake Lake Newell Ab
Kootenay Lake BC (when the swells are under 2)
Lake Revelstoke for the Kokanee, Rainbows and Bulls

[7magtime]

From years ago, had some great catches on these lakes…..

Frenchman
Ironwood
Pinehurst
Fork
Wabamun

[lromanchuk]

Cold
Calling
Blackett
Spencer
Pigeon

[alc1966]

Top 5 fishing memories come from...
1. Crean Lake (Moose Bay) in Prince Albert NP
2. Arrow Lake (Beaton Arm)
3. Kootenay Lake (near Lardeau)
4: Cold Lake
5: Kananaskis Lakes (either one)

[trigger7mm]

One of the most epic days of ice fishing I’ve ever experienced was at Blackett Lake. Jumbo perch and walleye as soon as you could get your hook down. That was in the early 70’s mind you.

[Bushmaster]

Are there still hog rainbows in Kootenay? I caught a 26 lb'er there back in the 80's!

https://i.imgur.com/U2dJgBJ.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/GjB54Io.jpg

[man of steel]

Are there still hog rainbows in Kootenay? I caught a 26 lb'er there back in the 80's!

https://i.imgur.com/U2dJgBJ.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/GjB54Io.jpg

2 - 4lb max.

[Burbert]

Baptiste no good now can't keep anything. Over developed.
Skeleton no good now almost dried up. Over developed.
Calling still good but a dangerous lake. Be aware of weather.
Lesser Slave good but again dangerous. Be aware of weather.
Lawrence Lake but again dangerous. Be aware of weather. Mostly
fished out when limits were way to generous.
Ghost Lake beautiful little place to take the family. Can fish with
row boat or canoe. Fishing has been good at time but small lake
has been winter killed many times.
Fawcett beautiful lake over fished and developed. Great adventures with camping and exploring islands. Good fishing long
gone..
I give up, high gas prices, overdevelopment. Fu-k fishing, I am old now and have lots of memories, that do not include water
skiers, hi fi stereos on kick as- ski boats. Drunken teens and fools
with fireworks. White Avenue on most lakes now during the Summer!!!!

[trigger7mm]

Lawerance Lake? Wasn’t that one mostly just a pike fishery?

[Speckle55]

Maligne Lake
Fickle Lake
Talbot Lake
Muskiki Lake
Medicine Lake

[Freedom55]

In June: Pinehurst
July: Turtle (or LOTW)
August: Diefenbaker
September: Last Mountain Lake
October: Tobin

That said, I will fish any lake, in any boat, any time, with any one.

Free

[AlbertanGP]

Are there still hog rainbows in Kootenay? I caught a 26 lb'er there back in the 80's!

https://i.imgur.com/U2dJgBJ.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/GjB54Io.jpg

Google Gerrard rainbows. They are some of the largest rainbow trout in the world. 2-4lb. max. in Kootenay Lake? lol.

[alc1966]

Google Gerrard rainbows. They are some of the largest rainbow trout in the world. 2-4lb. max. in Kootenay Lake? lol.

Catch rates of large Gerrard's are way down in the last couple decades. This is due to the slow recovery of the kokanee population which in the past was the primary food source for Gerrard's, now their primary food source are insects which means there are numerous Gerrard's, but few that grow to substantial size.
More information in this document:
https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/environment/plants-animals-and-ecosystems/fish-fish-habitat/fishery-resources/region-4-kootenay-boundary/kootenay_lake_kokanee_recovery_update_jan_20211.pd f
(https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/environment/plants-animals-and-ecosystems/fish-fish-habitat/fishery-resources/region-4-kootenay-boundary/kootenay_lake_kokanee_recovery_update_jan_20211.pd f)

[AltaBorn]

Baptiste no good now can't keep anything. Over developed.
Skeleton no good now almost dried up. Over developed.
Calling still good but a dangerous lake. Be aware of weather.
Lesser Slave good but again dangerous. Be aware of weather.
Lawrence Lake but again dangerous. Be aware of weather. Mostly
fished out when limits were way to generous.
Ghost Lake beautiful little place to take the family. Can fish with
row boat or canoe. Fishing has been good at time but small lake
has been winter killed many times.
Fawcett beautiful lake over fished and developed. Great adventures with camping and exploring islands. Good fishing long
gone..
I give up, high gas prices, overdevelopment. Fu-k fishing, I am old now and have lots of memories, that do not include water
skiers, hi fi stereos on kick as- ski boats. Drunken teens and fools
with fireworks. White Avenue on most lakes now during the Summer!!!!

Yup! Depressing isn't it? There were some amazing lakes within a few hours of edm. They're all basically dead now. Wake boats, green lawns, plus Alberta fishery management = yikes.

[AlbertanGP]

Catch rates of large Gerrard's are way down in the last couple decades. This is due to the slow recovery of the kokanee population which in the past was the primary food source for Gerrard's, now their primary food source are insects which means there are numerous Gerrard's, but few that grow to substantial size.
More information in this document:
https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/environment/plants-animals-and-ecosystems/fish-fish-habitat/fishery-resources/region-4-kootenay-boundary/kootenay_lake_kokanee_recovery_update_jan_20211.pd f
(https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/environment/plants-animals-and-ecosystems/fish-fish-habitat/fishery-resources/region-4-kootenay-boundary/kootenay_lake_kokanee_recovery_update_jan_20211.pd f)

That's an interesting paper...thanks for posting it. It's good to hear that spawning for Gerrards is still in good shape. As I recall, it's only one or two small gravel beds on the Lardeau River that account for all the Gerrards in Kootenay Lake. Advocating for the harvest of one species to support the recovery of another and balance the ecosystem in a lake. What a novel concept. I wonder if our government has ever heard of it?

[man of steel]

It's a good thing that you can google up bigger fish. This is the main lake that I fish and I have not caught a rainbow over 4lb in over 5 years. Many of those are also wormy now too. I guess I need to google before I go out next time.

[AlbertanGP]

It's a good thing that you can google up bigger fish. This is the main lake that I fish and I have not caught a rainbow over 4lb in over 5 years. Many of those are also wormy now too. I guess I need to google before I go out next time.

Spicy...I like it. :love0025:

If you want to share some more details on how a lake renowned for having some of the largest rainbows in the world has been reduced to below the level of a stocked trout pond in Alberta, I'm sure we'd all be interested to hear your thoughts. Do you fish the lake a lot? Live there? Have you previously caught Gerrards consistently? Are you still catching big bull trout? Has Arrow been decimated as well, or is it still producing large rainbows?

I know the lake isn't what it once was at the moment. But if *no one* over there can catch a rainbow over four pounds out of Kootenay Lake any more, then I'm truly sorry for your loss. That lake is God's country. :(

[deschambault]

Yes it's sad but at least there are still a lot of 3-5 lb bulls which smoke really well. My five:

Norfork - Arkansas
Namekus lake - PA NP
Tobin
Crawling Valley
Kootenay or Christina (both BC)

[man of steel]

Spicy...I like it. :love0025:

If you want to share some more details on how a lake renowned for having some of the largest rainbows in the world has been reduced to below the level of a stocked trout pond in Alberta, I'm sure we'd all be interested to hear your thoughts. Do you fish the lake a lot? Live there? Have you previously caught Gerrards consistently? Are you still catching big bull trout? Has Arrow been decimated as well, or is it still producing large rainbows?

I know the lake isn't what it once was at the moment. But if *no one* over there can catch a rainbow over four pounds out of Kootenay Lake any more, then I'm truly sorry for your loss. That lake is God's country. :(

Sorry. I might have fired back a little hard but I was a little choked that someone was telling me to google what kind of fish that are in a lake that I have fished for over 50 years.

-I have fished the lake a lot.

-I do live about an hour away. I had a travel trailer at the lake for many years.

-I have caught and released more than my share of 10lb+ fish there.

-The Bull Trout are still being caught but are not as big as before and are a lot skinnier.

-Arrow Lake is starting to produce some bigger fish. This same scenario seems to have happened there and Slocan Lake about 6 or 7 years before Kootenay Lake and both are recovering.

The problem, as I understand it, is the kokanee were affected by a virus that decimated their numbers and now they can't recover because the Rainbows and Bull Trout eat most of the naturally spawned and stocked fish before they can mature.

[AlbertanGP]

Well that's really sad to hear. Hopefully the lake can return to it's former glory before the Gerrard's gene pool is lost. My understanding is that those fish have a genetic predisposition to be more piscivorous than typical rainbow strains, which accounted for their growth rates. The paper posted earlier suggests they are still spawning successfully, so that's good news.

And, for my part, I apologize for laughing when you posted 2-4lbs was the max. That was ignorance on my part, but hard to fathom the decline without details. Again, best of luck with the recovery efforts.

[Prairiewolf]

1. Moose
2. Pyramid
3. McLeod (Carson Pegasus)
4. Oldman Dam
5. Ghost

Alot has changed in the last year:

1. Pine Coulee
2. McGregor
3. Upper Kananaskis
4. Moose
5. Mcleod (Carson Pegasus)

[58thecat]

Wait I had a list but then it changed and changed again so yup it all depends on species I wish to target.


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[roper1]

Newell
Crawling Valley
Pine Coulee
McGregor
Travers

Still working very steady so these I can reach in 1-2 hrs. Few more years I'll expand the range again

[Smokinyotes]

1. Dussault lake
2. arnault lake
3. Lily lake
4. Chip Lake
5. Isle Lake.

[-JR-]

Devils lake
Sandy Lake
North buck
Isle Lake
Mann Lake
Hastings lake
Wizard Lake
Chip lake
And every lake that people park 20 ft beside you .


Lol

[fish99]

pigeon lake
cold lake
lake newell
lower kananaskis
upper kananaskis
wizard lake