Places close to Calgary to launch for free

nicemustang · #1 04-24-2009, 10:36 AM

Reading a couple of other threads, brings important note to think about. Since this year will be the first with a boat, it would be nice to know where to go to boat for free. Good fishing or not, but close places that are free or close to free with a decent launch would be good. I live 5 miles east of Balzac, so can anyone share some places to launch the boat? I will have to do some testing with it, especially since it doesn't work well and I am going to be tinkering with it.

I would think Ghost is the closet for free money, what else is around? Eagle costs money, chestermere is $40, CV costs money....

Please let me know. Thanks.

Gillfisher · #2 04-24-2009, 10:39 AM

Barrier lake in Kananaskis also uppler & lower lakes kananaskis Spray lakes as well. My favorite is Barrier Lake

Bob

fishing_flower · #3 04-24-2009, 10:42 AM

Chestermere 40 bucks!!!!

nicemustang · #4 04-24-2009, 10:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gillfisher

Barrier lake in Kananaskis also uppler & lower lakes kananaskis Spray lakes as well. My favorite is Barrier Lake

Bob

Thanks, but that's far away. I want close to Calgary so I can do testing.

matathonman · #5 04-24-2009, 11:31 AM

You can launch your boat on the N.W. side of Eagle lk for free. Turn south off Hwy 1 at the tree farm, the launch is on the left. If it's not a big heavy boat you'll be alright I think.
Crawling is only $5 I believe to just launch your boat, not a bad price, and you can fish while tinkering.

fishing_flower · #6 04-24-2009, 11:55 AM

Eagle lake, by big and heavy boat. Would a 18ft aluminum be able to launch there?

Mudslide · #7 04-24-2009, 12:56 PM

I think Ghost Lake is the closest free launch to us. I'll be taking my new rig out there asap.

nicemustang · #8 04-24-2009, 01:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mudslide

I think Ghost Lake is the closest free launch to us. I'll be taking my new rig out there asap.

Yeah, figured....when will the ice be off? Getting my boat back Sunday.

Brian_levesque · #9 04-24-2009, 01:17 PM

Ghost Lake has a pretty good boat launch, very busy place in the summer time though.

fishing_flower · #10 04-24-2009, 01:20 PM

We drove past Ghost last Sunday and it didn't look like the ice was melting much. A little sloppy looking, but right up to shore it is.

jesse34567 · #11 04-24-2009, 01:58 PM

pine coulee by stavely is free

merk1 · #12 04-24-2009, 02:54 PM

If you live east of balzac mcgregor only takes me one hour to have the boat in the water and I live in the very ne of the city. If taffic is good it takes me about the same to get to ghost, but you know how calgary traffic can get sometimes. If you know somebody with a chestermere adress it is free to launch.

nicemustang · #13 04-24-2009, 03:23 PM

Except the boat has to be in their name. I tried that last year and it didn't work at Chestemere.

calgarygringo · #14 04-24-2009, 04:27 PM

For an early season launch and close try Twin Valley or pine. I saw some reports last week that Twin was pretty much open. Good and deep concrete launch there.

matathonman · #15 04-24-2009, 04:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fishing_flower

Eagle lake, by big and heavy boat. Would a 18ft aluminum be able to launch there?

Probably not, it's more suited for 14' and under smaller boats

barbless · #16 04-24-2009, 07:38 PM

I agree with matathonman. Do not put your big cruiser in Eagle. In a thread from yesterday I mentioned that if you hit Chestermere at the right time before May long or about one week after, you should be able to launch after 5:00pm for free during the week. Just make sure they have enough water. If you know someone who lives there they can get you the form and you can fill it out and sign your boat over to them and launch for free at any time. Good luck. Ghost? Big and windy. Last year I went to Burnstick Lake on the last weekend in May and tried my new kicker and throttled up the 150 Yammy. That was after (the once in a life time brain fart) forgetting to put the plug in. 1/2 hr. of billage pump and 1/2 hr. out of the water draining, everything went great. I live in Calgary and it does not take that long to get there.

strathmorite · #17 04-24-2009, 08:04 PM

just took a drive out to the launch on the west side and it is way to shallow to launch my 16ft crestliner, but one the brighter side the ice is melting good. if we could get some +10 or better temps it shouldn't take long. there was even water in the middle or the lake. the last time I was launched at the camp ground on the east side I remember it being around 15 bucks, can any one can confirm this??

barbless · #18 04-24-2009, 08:11 PM

$15 bucks where? West side, east side campground, what lake?? Don't know which one you say.

strathmorite · #19 04-24-2009, 10:41 PM

sorry, i am reffering to eagle lake. there is a camp ground on the east side of the lake toward the south end that used to charge to use the launch

nicemustang · #20 04-25-2009, 05:09 PM

I do know that it is really shallow over there at eagle, so I don't know what the launch is like but I heard it was hard for big boats....

Where is the launch at Clear and Twin Valley?

Freedom55 · #21 04-26-2009, 02:30 PM

Badger has a conrete launch. 3 accesses to Eagle that I know of including the private (east side) one, the n.w. one and the south near the trestle and all are mud to away far out. Trailered boats would be hard to launch and deep vee's would bottom out every where. After the diversion is open and the canals fill, the water levels will increase until autumn and the gravel accesses will be more suitable.