Confusion: Upper/Lower Champion vs. Champion (Sunken) Lakes
 

There are three lakes with the name Champion in the ES1 region. Upper Champion Lake, Lower Champion Lake and Champion (Sunken) Lakes.

The Alberta Fishing guide says that Upper and Lower Champion Lakes are stocked and have a limit of 5 trout. It says that Champion (Sunken) Lakes is not stocked and has a limit of 1 over 40 cm. There is also a bait ban at Sunken lakes but not Upper/Lower Champion.

The unhelpful thing here is that the AFG does not list a location for any of these lakes. According to Alberta Environment's stocked fishing map Upper and Lower Champion Lakes are here: https://goo.gl/maps/k9DDytam5uF2

I can't find any reference to the Champion (Sunken) Lakes on the stocked map. But on this page it references Champion (Sunken) Lakes at this LSD 26-21-5-W5. This LSD is the location of Upper and Lower Champion Lakes.

Can anyone clarify this confusion? Is Champion (Sunken) Lakes the same as Upper/Lower Champion Lake? If so, why are the regs different? If not, where the heck is Champion (Sunken) Lakes?

Simple answer but one many people don't know and need to know.

Although the Albertafishingguide website has some good information it is not government run and it is inaccurate in multiple instances.

In this case when you look at the actual regs you will only find the one listing for Champion (Sunken) Lakes LSD 26-21-5-W5. Limit is 1 over 40 cm. There are 2 lakes there and both show up differently on the stocked lakes report but land description is the same.

Do not ever trust albertafishingguide for critical information ie limits. ALWAYS check the actual regs when looking for regulation information as like I have already mentioned albertafishingguide is wrong on many accounts(either in species, limits, bait bans etc).

Okay. So Champion (Sunken) Lakes is the same as Upper and Lower Champion Lakes?

It's still odd that Alberta Environment lists these Lakes as Upper and Lower Champion on their stocking map and NOT as Champion (Sunken Lakes). This is also the case in the stocking report documents where these lakes are Referred to as Upper and Lower Champion Lakes. While the regs refer to the lakes as Champion (Sunken) Lakes. So it seems to me even official sources contain some degree of confusion (though less than the AFG).

A little consistency in nomenclature would go a long way to resolving this.

I'm actually surprised this isn't a put and take fishery since I would assume these lakes are prone to winter kills and it is only stocked with rainbows.

Yes they would be the same lakes/group of lakes. They do this in multiple situations in the regs where they refer to a group of lakes and then refer to them individually elsewhere like on the stocking reports. They expect you to figure it out and usually it is easy enough except when ABFG has the wrong information on it... I used to use ABFG a lot, now I avoid it.

Asking AEP for simplicity and common sense is a lost cause... Many of their stocking decisions and stocked lake regulations make zero sense...