Grande Prairie Regional Tourism Association

Located about a two hour drive west and south from Grande Prairie is a small, pristine lake known to locas as Boot Lake. Go west of Grande Prairie to Goodfare Road, located between Beaverlodge and Hythe, turn and go west straight through the Heritage Highway in British Columbia. Turn south on the Heritage Highway, go to the Noel Oilfiel road, turn west again and follow this road to Boot Lake. There is a very small parking lot and primitive boat launch. This area along with half a dozen rough camping sites here.

The lake is part of the water drainage supply for the Dawson Creek Water Management Area.  It is shallow, but is not as warm as most regulary prairie type lakes. It is surround by heavily forested areas of spruce and pine.

Boot Lake is stocked with Rainbow and Brook Trout which can grow to 22 inches, the average being about 1 to 14 inches. Both species are plenitful and can present their own challenges to catch. Rainbow Trout can be fished successfully with nymphs, leeches, and caddis flies most of the summer simply by trolling or casting around the lake. They can be caught easily on dry flies with floating line near the shoreiline, or  on wet flies with sinking line int he deeper water. Brook Trout on the other hand are a little more finicky to catch. A slower presentation is usally required, along with more attention to specific areas of the lake where they seem to concentrate. Small caddis, nymph or leech flies work best fished near the edge of week beds and present slowly as you pass over and around the weekds.

From the boat launching area on the south end of the lake, head up the west shoreline paying attention to activity on the water. Rainbows will typically jump or roll on the surface, whereas Brookies will usually just dimple the surface when feeding. This can be a good indicator of what species you may be fishing around. There are island weed beds located in the northwest area of the lake which are prime spots for Brook Trout.

The lake has open water in late May through to late October, and fishing is fairly consistent throughout the summer and fall. Because it is a cooler lake, there is less weed growth and algae than on prairie lakes, therefore the fishing can be good all summer. There are beaver giyses on the shorelines which usually  have deeper holes around them for good fishing, as well as some deeper areas of the lake which can offer up some awesome trout.

One hour’s drive east of Grande Prairie on Highway 43 to Valleyviewm then another 20 minutes , just off the west side of the hightway is a small stocked pond known to locals as East Dollar Lake. The pond is currently stocked with Rainbow and Brown Trout. There are actually two ponds which are connected by a narrow passageway that does have water in it when the water tables are high. Even though the second pond is sometimes accessible and does have a sufficient supply of excellent trout food, (millions of fresh water shrimp), the trout dont seem to stay in this pond, mostly due to it being so shallow and high weed growth and low oxygen levels.

The east pond, known as East Dollar is much deeper with water that remains clear throughout the summer months. The pond is is surrounded with a dense shoreline of willows, cattails and hevy weed growth. There is a small, primitive boat launching area and only electirc trolling motors are allowed. Larger, trailered boats are not recommended due to the soft muddy shoreline at the launching area. There is a small parking lot and day use area with biffies and garbage containers, but no provision for overnight camping.

As this is a small pond, a half dozen folks fishing at any given time is considered a crowd. This is a great place to practice fly casting and try your luck at landing a lively Rainbow or one of those elusive Brown Trout. Try dropping your favorite dry flies into the edge of the weeds around the shoreline, and you may be lucky enough to entice one of the wary Brown Trout to take the fake. (It depends on how well you present the fly!) Move out into the deeper water with a sinking tip fly line and wet flies to try catching a feitsty Rainbow on a Marabou Leech or Woolly Worm. Of course, the traditional shrimp patterns work well for both species in this pond.

As with any good fishing lake, there are definite hot spots in this in this pond which can really surprise you with fish of amazing action and size. If you want to know where they are, you will have to pack up your gear and try this pond out for yourself! It won’t take more than one circuit around the pond for you to be hooked as much as the fish you catch.

One of the many stocked lakes in the Mighty Peace Country is Figure Eight Lake. It is located just off a secondary Highway, about half an hour drive north and west of Fairview, Alberta. The lake is stockend with Rainbow and Brown Trout, which have been known to reach sizes of 22 inches or more. There is a small campground on the west side of the lake and a small boat launching area there with a wharf. There are also a couple of picnicking areas with beach frontage.

The lake is quite shallow, therefore only smaller boats are recommended. Becase the lake is shallow, the best fiishing is usually in the spring before the weeds get heavy, or in the lake fall after the weeds die down. The winter is usualy gone about the first part of May and it starts to freeze up late October.

As the water warms up and it gets into early june, both the weed growth and the insect activity increases in the lake. The fish become more active also as they chase after the smorgasbord of feed around them. They soon become selective in what they like best and it becomes more difficult to find the right fly and be able to present it properly. Dry flies will worth to catch Brown Trout in the shallows, near the shoreline. To get a hit in the deeper water you will need to use a sink tip line and do a slower presentation with a caddis type fly. Rainbow Trout will hit on almost any fly you use in this lake, providing you use the appropriate presentation.

Summer fishing can be difficult because of the heavy weed growth in this lake, but it is possible if you can fish between those nasty weed beds. After the weeds die off in late fall, the fishing improves again and you can rever back to techniques that worked for early spring fishing. Figure Eight lake is also a popular winter recreation area for the ice fishing. The lake is aerated to paintain the fish over the winter.

If you are looking for variety in your trout fishing and new challenges, try catching a large Brown Trout in this beautiful Peace County lake. It is unfortunately one of the very few lakes in the area where Brown Trout can still be found.

Good Luck and Good Fishing!

Provides information on hunting, fishing, and traping in the area including the management and allocation of licenses. Contact info: Phone Number: 780-538-5265 Fax Number: 780-538-5622

Kakut Lake is located 12 km east on the Peoria Road, about 1 km pas the Woking turnoff on highway 2. The main lake is bordered by a rather long and narrow pond which is stocked with trout. A windmill at the far east end of the pond provides aeration all year so that trout are able to winter over. The larger lake is a Ducks Unlimited sanctuary for migratory waterfowl. For those who wish to camp, there is a small campground and playground area with a resident caretaker.

Unlike some other lakes and ponds in the region with limited shoreline access, the entire pond perimeter is accessilble for shore fishing, with new obstacles to interfer with back casts. Because the fish will rise relatively close to shore, presentation and long leaders are more important then distance, casting both with wet or dry flies as the trout seem to  actively surface feeding almost all the time. The experienced or novice flyfisher who wants to cast her dry flies to rise will have little trouble catching them.

Although many small adult Mayfly imitations work at Kakut, the adult Midges seem to be much more cinsistent in attracting the trout. These small Midges, which are cream to white in colour, can be seenin sizes 18 to 20 on the surface from early May until October. The Halfback Nymph and Hares Ear Nymph in sizes 12 to 16 have also proved very effective, especially towards the evening.

Like other bodies of still water, dusk brings on a frenzy of surface feeding and hordes of mosquitoes descend on this pond from the main lake. No matter how good the fishing, fisherman without repellent are driven off quickly.

Located 27 KM west of Spirit River on  highway 49, and 7 km north on SH 725, Moonshine Lake is a true recreational area. The park has over one hundred campsites and day use areas with multiple playgrounds and an abundance of walking nature trails.

The lake itself was created b damming a creek drainage to develop a large body of water no approximately 80 acres in size. It is stocked annually with Rainbow Trout and boasts a good population of Brown Trout that have been stocked ever second year. Lake access includes a small boat launch (electronic motors only) many float tube entry points and exceptional shoreline fishing from all sides of the lake.

The biggest attraction of Moonshine Lake is the trout that seem more eager to hit here than in many other lakes in the region. There are many areas in this water body that serve as holding and feeding zones for these wonderful fish. The vast forests surrounding the alke help keep down waves so fishing all zones is possible with fly gear in all weather conidtions. Drop-offs, mud flats and weed lines as well as undercut banks and beaver houses serve as great structure. As for fly fishing techniques, your best bet is to be versatile. Be prepared  to fish dry on the surface with small nymphs up to size six streamers. The stained water sees bright colour more effective overall but don’t rule out the dark colours deep in the mud and weeds.

This is the perfect lake to take kids fishing. They can get on the water, learn about fishing and have a great chance to catch a nice one. Don’t forget your camera, because whether it’s the fun, the fishing or the spectacular wildlife of the park, you’ll be sure to get some great shots for the album.

Have fun and good luck!

Spring Lake is a small stocked lake located about one and a half hours drive from Grande Prairie, Alberta. Go west from Grande Prairie to the Wembley corner, north to LaGlace, then west through Valhalla until you come to the sign pointing north to Spring Lake. You will follow this grave road several miles north until you come to the lake. It is located in a small ravine in a heavily forested area, making it a deep lake with pristine surroundings. There is a small managed campground with a day use area, a large parking lot and a primitive boat launch area with a wharf.

Power Boats are not Allowed.

The lake typically has open water fishing by mid May and usually stays opn  until late October, early November.  It is stocked with Rainbow  and Brook  trout, which makes for some challenging fishing. The shoreline is very shallow at the sound end by the boat laundhing area, but it quickly drops off once you go a few yards out. The deeper parts of the alke are as much as seventy feet and then the north end of the lake is shallow again. There are several bank beaver houses around the lake, which can be good areas to fish for the elusive trout and trigger a strike. Since it is a deeper lake it is not susceptiable to heavy weed growth away from the shoreline; hence why it has good fishing for the entire season.

The Spring Lake Recreation area is also noted for its hiking and ski trails, a nearby ski lodge with groomed slopes and excellent hunting areas. Because of the winter activity in this area, Spring Lake has become a great place to take the family for a winter outing to do some ice rishing and enjoy the outdoors. It’s  great place to enjoy nature with moose, elk, and deer wandering down to the lake and loons calling across the lake.

It must first be said that this is one of the best Walleye lakes in the west (located about 45 minutes east of Grande Prairie off highway 43). There are many access points with quality boat launches including two provincial parks.

This is a size-able lake (approximately 9 km x 3km) with variable shorelines, cottages and feeder creeks that add structure to this fishing hotbed. It is extremely important to know how fishing regulations apply to your catch on this lake. Make sure you read carefully on slot size and harvest number as they change during the summer.

A hydro-graphic map of the lake is a must (one is provided beside the boat launches) due to the bottom changes of the lake. Between sand, weed, rock, and variable depths of 3 to 40 feet, a multitude of zones in the lake can be fished successfully from boat, shore, dingy or float tube. Be cautious of winds that can come up quickly and create quite a heavy chop on the water with no islands to hide behind.

A variety of fishing techniques and baits prove effective spring, summer, and fall. This includes good fly fishing with leech or minnow patters from first ice out to mid-summer on the weed bed flats and drop-offs.

Pike are most common on the fly but Walleye can be plentiful as well if you hit them on the feed. Be aware of blue green algae blooms in mid-summer as the water warms.

Get yourself a spot at one of the local campgrounds and enjoy fishing, hiking, and bird watching in this wonderful area.

Swan Lake is the most publicized lake in the Peace Country. The reason w hy will be most evident after you enjoy a fishing experience at this lake. From Grande Prairie, travel east approximately 72 km on highway 43 to the small hamlet of Ridgevalley. From Ridgevalley south 16 km on a well maintained gravel road will direct you to the largest Rainbow Trout fishing in the region.

Presently the recreation area is unsupervised and maintenance is minimal. A few rustic campsites exist amongst the trees next to the lake. Service does not exist, but you will find a washroom, fish cleaning stand, and ocasionally some wood. Access to the lake is a steep ramp and a muddy shoreline. Electric motors are requested as a power source.

Acquiring the name Swan lake in 1952 would suggest you may view some of these prestigious birds; regretably, the increasing amount of boats and fishing activity prohibits that. However, there is a bald headed eagle family usually raising its young at the east end of the lake.

The lake is shallow, but aeration allows the fish to thrive all year. The abundance of natural feed in this lake produces Rainbow Trout from an average of two pounds up to 8 or 9 pounds.

Early spring fishing can produce results with leeches, shrimp, bright olive nymphs, and a sinking tip line produces better success. May and June are your best months for clear water, as the lake produces a hevy algae bloom July through September. During this time brightly coloured flies, streamers, and Wooly Worms are successful.

September and October can provide excellent sized Rainbow Trout with careful presentation of back swimmers, Doc Spratley, and Marabou Muddlers.

The Popularity of this lake is a direct reflection of the size of Rainbow. Some days it may appear congested to a fly fisherman in a belly boat due to the number of aluminum boats cruising the lake. With proper courtesy there is space for everyone to enjoy a rewarding day of fishing.

The first of the Two Lakes (Pristine Lake, the Call of the wind Lake), a wildnerss lake eco-system that continues to stubbornly fight the encroachment of civilization.

May it contine to be, for generations to come, a pristine wilderness lake, a mountain eco-system  for nature’s inhabitants and made available to us the people who care, and respectfully conduct ourselves as priveiledge guests.

For those who like the adventure element of fishing to begin as soon as they leave home, Two Lakes is definately a spot consider. Whil only located about 130 Kilometres south of Grande Prairie, be prepared for a drive that can take two hours or more. Sometimes the road will be goind in good driving conidition. Often it will be extremely dusty. After rain it can become a muddy quagmire that only a 4X4 truck can safely negotiate.

Those wishing to pull any type of recreational trailer down to the campground located on the shore of the lake would be well advised to proceed with cauthin and perhaps have a copy of their extended warranty in their back pocket. To attempt the trip when road conditions are at their worst and to turn around and return to Grande Prairie is often no evidence of a weak will but good judgement.

Nonetheless, upon arriving at the lake one will quickly see how worthwhile the arduous trek was. With the scenic Rocky Mountains in the background, it is one of the prettiest lakes in the area. Given its mountain lake characteristics, this lake remains fishble throughout the summer. As with any mountain lake, it can become quite windy during the day which can make fishing a challenge. Consequently some of the most pleasant fishing can be had early in the morning or evening.

Boat access to the lake is fairly easy with one boat launch available for light trailers. The launch area has a fairly soft bottom which could make getting heavier boats into the water impractical. For light craft such as canoes or inflatables, there is easy shore access from many points in the campsite.

Containing both Rainbows and Cutthroats this lake is best fished from eaither a boat or float tube. Trolling a full sinking or sink tip like with nymphs along weed likes can be very productive. Shorelines away from the campground areas can also see good catches of fish to be had. The same weed beds can also produce well when casting a dry fly to them.  When fishing the north end of the lakethe anglers should also be aware that fishing in the vicinity of the spawning stream is prohibitied.

Neither the Rainbows nor Cutthroats are overly fussy in this lake so they will bite a wide variety of nymph patterns. While at times being selevtive about what colour will get their attention, one usually doesn’t have to venture too deeply into one’s fly box before finding a combination that will work. In the case of dry flies, for those of you who have increasing difficulty seeing flies more than one or two rod lenths away, again the fish in this lake do not require tiny patterns to tempt them to rise.

The surrounding scenery or other available recreation activities such as hiking provides lots to see and do. Just keep in mind to watch out for bears. They are not uncommon in this area. Also remember that although it may bee too windy on the lake, the area also provides fishing opportunities in the Torrens River and other streams that should not be ignored.