Northern Alberta: 7 fishing hot spots
Where the owner of Cold Lake’s Exsile Outdoors fishes for giant lakers, pike, walleye, burbot and perch
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Open for almost three years, Cold Lake’s Exsile Outdoors supplies northeastern Alberta’s anglers and hunters with everything they need. There’s even an indoor archery range. Owner Jason Laudin says a must-have local bait is the Cold Lake Special—a five-inch-long tube jig with a treble-hook stinger. Here are Laudin’s top spots for lakers and more.
More info: Exsile Outdoors, (780) 594-2538, www.exsileoutdoors.com
COLD LAKE, ALBERTA
GPS: 54.512, -110.122
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FISH: Burbot, lake trout, northern pike, walleye, whitefish, yellow perch
HIGHLIGHT: A great population of lakers, including monsters over 50 pounds
WHEN: Year-round
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FERN LAKE, SASKATCHEWAN
GPS: 54.818, -108.201
FISH: Rainbow trout, splake
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HIGHLIGHT: Easy access to rainbows averaging three to seven pounds
WHEN: Year-round
LITTLE BEAR LAKE, ALBERTA
GPS: 54.551, -110.301
FISH: Rainbow trout
HIGHLIGHT: Fly fish from a belly boat for 10-pound-plus trout
WHEN: May to March
MARIE LAKE, ALBERTA
GPS: 54.632, -110.308
FISH: Burbot, walleye
HIGHLIGHT: Easy walleye fishing for kids, plus trophy burbot
WHEN: Summer for walleye, winter for burbot
PIERCE LAKE, SASKATCHEWAN
GPS: 54.507, -109.723
FISH: Burbot, lake tout, northern pike, walleye
HIGHLIGHT: Good camping and many eating-size walleye, in crystal-clear water
WHEN: June to September
PINEHURST LAKE, ALBERTA
GPS: 54.657, -111.431
FISH: Northern pike, walleye, yellow perch
HIGHLIGHT: Near-wilderness water with trophy-size pike and walleye
WHEN: Year-round
SIEBERT LAKE, ALBERTA
GPS: 54.724, -111.308
FISH: Burbot, northern pike
HIGHLIGHT: Good numbers of walleye
WHEN: June to March