Selecting a lake

In Alberta we have The Alberta Fishing Guide. Published yearly by Barry Mitchell, this magazine is similar to the TV Guide but instead of listing TV shows, it lists most if not all of Alberta's lakes and rivers. These listings include directions, species, information and other statistics. Look for a similar guide for your local region.

Here is an example of a listing out of “The Alberta Fishing Guide”

• Hasse Lake - Rainbows to 10lbs. Take Hwy 16 west from Stony Plain for about 7km, then about 7km south, 5km west and south. Watch for signs. Day use Provincial Park, fishing piers. Max boat speed 12 km/hr.

As you can see it supplies what fish are in the lake, directions to get you there and some other special information that may be of interest.

When I am selecting a lake I follow these steps and I have had excellent success over the years.

• Scan the Alberta Fishing Guide and select a lake based on species of interest and size of fish. (Example) Hasse Lake has 10lb rainbows that have been caught and confirmed.
• Now that I have selected my target, I move on to a website that I love to use. Angler's Atlas (www.anglersatlas.com) will supply you with depth chart maps of most Alberta, BC and Ontario lakes. If you live outside these areas, I am sure you can find a similar site on the internet by using the Google search engine ( www.google.ca ).
• Now that I have the lake layout, I next pick the date I plan on fishing the lake. Go to Fish Byte for their Lunar Calculator software. This program will generate lunar tables for best fishing and will find all days and times when fish are biting. When you enter the projected weather, it will come up with a rating for the day. I've been using this software for over four years and I have great faith in its accuracy. Give it a try.
• Another primary factor I will look at is aeration. Is the lake aerated? If it is click the link below to see why I would fish the lake.