Cold Lake 2023/24 Hard Water Season.

[Teamprotz]

Yes Kaiden came through again , Iromanchuk will post a pic for us later. Trout was an absolute beast , almost 38.5 inches with an insane girth. Wasn’t a numbers day but we caught fish. Next biggest was 83.5cm

[lromanchuk]

For Cold Lake, doesn’t get much bigger than this in 2024.

I’ve never seen one posted bigger.

[crblair]

I was lucky enough to have been there. Well over 25lbs and likely pushing 30lbs. A true Cold Lake giant

[Dean2]

Too great a fish not to see it right side up. Really nice catch!

[-JR-]

Finally that brute was landed . Congrats

[Teamprotz]

A bit shy of 55lbs but we’re slowly working our way there

[ragweed]

Beautiful fish!


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[58thecat]

Gut full of burbs!!!

Awesome!

Hopefully the fishery keeps heading in this direction.


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[CBintheNorth]

Great fish!!!

Nice thing about the new upcoming regs is that those big females will be protected from harvest.
I think the fishery is going to be even better in a few years.

[HL_transplant]

Originally Posted by CBintheNorth

Great fish!!!

Nice thing about the new upcoming regs is that those big females will be protected from harvest.
I think the fishery is going to be even better in a few years.

I hope it does. Should be lower numbers but hopefully a better chance at fish reaching their full potential.

[Dom4]

Thanks for sharing that photo. That’s a really sweet looking trout. Congrats on the catch!


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[Brodhead]

Just got home from a quick trip to cold lake. Sunday afternoon the fishing was really slow. We hopped around French bay and some of the main lake and only landed 2 fish between 3 of us. Marked lots of fish but very few would chase and even fewer would bite. Nothing on the dead stick either.

Monday morning the bite picked up pretty good. 3 on the dead sticks and another half dozen on the rods. A few good chases all the way up the water column.

Lure choice didn't seem to matter. We tried multiple tube jigs, spoons, crankbaits and even downsized to jig and minnows/smelts. It seemed like when the bite was on they would bite anything and when it was dead they wouldn't touch anything. Most of the successful lures had some glow to them though.

All in all it was a good trip, well worth the drive. Blue skies and no need to even set up the shacks we were dragging all over the ice.

Best fish of the trip was a fat 30 inch.

Caught in water all depths 24-140ft

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[58thecat]

They are still being active as in chasing and then breaking off.
Crazy fun but yesterday we had to work to get them to commit.

Out again today to a new spot.


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[Dale S]

Good start to the morning.


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[58thecat]

Well we found the bite to be a bit more aggressive for the first part of the morning then went dead for like two hours but our deadsticks where getting targeted so that was a bonus.



140 ish fow and we just grinded the day out there at the bottom of a drop off.

Today will be in deeper to take advantage of suspended fish.


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[Dale S]

Originally Posted by Dale S

Good start to the morning.


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3 so far today. All around 22”.


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[58thecat]

Ended up with 18 landed but we had a cluster of double headers which tangled up etc and a lot of aggressive bites with no results as in our hook sets sucked

Tent had an odd smell and lots of ice thunder or was it the ice?


This was typical or screen covered in bait then the lakers moved in.
Hang on!

Average size 25 ish.

This laker came to the smell of chili!

Can’t blame him.

Now after three days I get to repair equipment etc then get back at it.

This training for athapapuskow is a good thing or?

Over the last three days our deadsticks were almost not hit at all. Most came off or near the bottom with better results going deep and working the water columns to stir up interest.


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[58thecat]

Originally Posted by Dale S

3 so far today. All around 22”.


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Good for you folks.


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[ragweed]

Great pics!


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[sparkster]

Looking for some advice, hopefully by some locals who have real time information on status.
Planning to finish the hard water season with a trip up to cold lake (first time) bringing my boys and Grandpa.
The ideal scenario is that I am able to drive my duramax truck on the ice pulling my enclosed ice fishing trailer, so we can do our usual trailer fishing and camping on the ice like I do in southern Alberta.
Back up plan would be to bring qauds and sleds... but this is a lot more hassel and would only entertain if needed.

Questions:

Given the forecast and current state of the lake....
1. Do you expect the lake access points (marina and Prov park) to be good enough to get both on and off the ice with this set up (truck/trailer).
2. Is one lake access point better for this scenario?
3. Are the surface conditions (snow depth and quality) going to allow me to drive pulling a trailer to some decent locations? I do have chains if needed.
4. Regarding the fishing, the goal is to get my sons catching fish on the rod (too much tip up pike fishing this year). Looking for quantity and eas over size/quality. Do you fish at different depths for this?

Appreciate any realtime information and pointers.
Thanks!!

[58thecat]

Originally Posted by sparkster

Looking for some advice, hopefully by some locals who have real time information on status.
Planning to finish the hard water season with a trip up to cold lake (first time) bringing my boys and Grandpa.
The ideal scenario is that I am able to drive my duramax truck on the ice pulling my enclosed ice fishing trailer, so we can do our usual trailer fishing and camping on the ice like I do in southern Alberta.
Back up plan would be to bring qauds and sleds... but this is a lot more hassel and would only entertain if needed.

Questions:

Given the forecast and current state of the lake....
1. Do you expect the lake access points (marina and Prov park) to be good enough to get both on and off the ice with this set up (truck/trailer).
2. Is one lake access point better for this scenario?
3. Are the surface conditions (snow depth and quality) going to allow me to drive pulling a trailer to some decent locations? I do have chains if needed.
4. Regarding the fishing, the goal is to get my sons catching fish on the rod (too much tip up pike fishing this year). Looking for quantity and eas over size/quality. Do you fish at different depths for this?

Appreciate any realtime information and pointers.
Thanks!!

1. Cold Snap has any surface water frozen again on or near the launch edges.
28-30 inches of measured ice is what I am seeing so your set up should be good to go. Lots of big campers still out on the ice.

2. I prefer the provincial park just because the structure at the marina can heat up creating unsafe ice in and around there. Another is the MD park launch in french bay by the ski hill but I would check them all out when you arrive just to see first hand.

3. Your set up will get you on the ice easily as we have very little snow right now. Ice is thick and safe but we are forecasted for a skiff of snow which may drift in so yes to chains.

4. Myself lately have been going deep with glow tubes and spoons just to take advantage of fishing the water columns for suspended fish but most are caught in the last 30 fow on or near the bottom. Deadsticks are hit and miss lately but drop them down cuz ya never know what the bite is.

If I was you I would drill and drop more often to get an idea of whats happening below and then make a plan from there....out and around the garnet beach area into french bay mouth has some great structure to play with. Now you just gotta get the lakers to cooperate which can be a challenge somedays.

Good luck.

[sparkster]

This is most helpful, thank you so much!!

[Dale S]

Originally Posted by sparkster

This is most helpful, thank you so much!!

I would also like to thank 58thecat for all the updates and info about the lake. He and a few others are a great resource for us new to the lake. And live 6 hours away.

[-JR-]

Originally Posted by Dale S

I would also like to thank 58thecat for all the updates and info about the lake. He and a few others are a great resource for us new to the lake. And live 6 hours away.

2x

[rasbok]

x3 Thanks for the updates.

[ragweed]

Originally Posted by Dale S

I would also like to thank 58thecat for all the updates and info about the lake. He and a few others are a great resource for us new to the lake. And live 6 hours away.

X4. It is so very much appreciated!


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[Elchinodiablo]

X5.

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[Fisherjim]

Thank you for the updates as well!! I used this forum last season and it really helped because the ice was closer to 12”s. This season, the info helped convince us to make a trip again after reading about the 30” ice.

Was out last week and we landed 28 total, including my biggest ones of all time. A 9lb 13oz then a 11lb 1oz. Both of those were on a deadstick with the largest tube jig. They measured around 82cm. We released all the fish. Only 2 of the 28 were keeper length.

Managed to get a lot of chasers this trip, so much fun! I did best on chasers with the tc moto meathead and ripple shad 4” tail. They really like the vibration the tail creates. We were fishing a steep drop at 130’. Berry point of the provincial recreation area. There is a good boat launch, but it is very steep compared to the marina and the provincial park campground, which are relatively flat.

Thanks again everyone for the contributions! Good luck the rest of this week.

[Deebs]

Caught today Mar 30 80 cm


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[topgear]

That's a beautiful laker!