Southern Alberta is home to an impressive selection of fishing lakes, from popular, easily accessible destinations to secluded mountain waters reached only by trail. Some offer convenient boat launches and dependable family fishing, while others are hidden gems, rewarding adventurous anglers with solitude, spectacular scenery and the possibility of having an entire lake to themselves. This selection highlights some of Southern Alberta’s best fishing lakes, from familiar favourites to lesser-known waters that may become treasured destinations for years to come.
Beauvais Lake
Beauvais Lake is an attractive foothills trout lake surrounded by forested slopes and parkland. Stocked brown and rainbow trout provide accessible fishing from shore, canoe, kayak or small boat, making the lake a good choice for families and casual anglers. Early morning and evening fishing is often best when the water is calm and trout are feeding.
Southern Alberta Backroad Mapbook, map page 1
Beaver Mine Lake
Beaver Mines Lake offers accessible trout fishing in a scenic foothills setting near Castle Provincial Park. Stocked rainbow trout can be targeted from shore, canoe, kayak or small boat, with spring and early summer often providing the most consistent action. Forested surroundings, nearby camping, boat launch and mountain views make it an appealing family destination. Note that all burbot are catch and release.
Carnarvon Lake
Carnarvon Lake is a remote alpine destination sitting right on the Continental Divide. Reached by a demanding 20 km (12.5 mile) return backcountry hike beginning from the Cat Creek Provincial Recreation Area on Highway 40, the trek involves an initial creek/river crossing and a steep final rock scramble with chains for assistance. But the rewards for the workout are excellent cutthroat trout fishing in a clear alpine lake, surrounded by dramatic cliffs and a genuine sense of solitude. Anglers should travel light, use small flies or lures and plan for an overnight adventure.
Chain Lakes Reservoir
Chain Lakes Reservoir is a popular, easily reached trout fishery southwest of Calgary. Regularly stocked rainbow trout along with brook, brown bull and cutthroat trout and mountain whitefish support consistent shore, boat and ice-fishing opportunities, with spring and early summer often producing the best action. Its campground and straightforward access make it especially suitable for families and new anglers.
Crawling Valley Reservoir
Created in 1983, Crawling Valley Reservoir is one of the best shore fishing destinations in Alberta offering excellent walleye, northern pike and yellow perch fishing. Anglers can work islands, points, weed edges and broad flats throughout the open-water season on the 18 kilometre (11 mile) long lake. There is a developed campground, boat launch and great winter ice fishing as well.
Crawling Valley Reservoir on BRMB Maps
Crowsnest Lake
Crowsnest Lake combines dramatic mountain scenery with opportunities for lake trout, stocked rainbow trout and mountain whitefish. Its cold, clear and deep water rewards trolling and jigging, best done in a boat or through the ice as shore fishing or wading is dangerous and difficult due to a steeply plunging bottom. Sudden winds can also make the lake hazardous, so small-craft anglers should watch conditions closely.
Keho Lake
Keho Lake sits just to the north of Nobleford off Highway 23. The lake is a great place for northern pike, in fact, Alberta’s biggest pike on record, at 17.24 kg (38 lbs), was pulled from these waters. In addition to the northern pike, anglers will find walleye, whitefish and burbot. Early morning and late afternoon (around 4:00 PM to 7:00 PM) are popular times to fish. The lake is known for being very windy, which can chop up the water and stir up the bottom to activate larger fish.
Lake Minnewanka
This large, murky lake can be found just outside the Banff Townsite and is considered one of the top ten lakes in the entire province for trophy lake trout. These fish can get up to 20 kg (45 lbs). Anglers will also find bull trout, rainbow trout and mountain whitefish. This is the only lake in the park that allows motorboats and these can be quite helpful in the summer when the fishing slows due to the fish heading to deeper waters.
Southern Alberta Backroad Mapbook, map page 38
Lake Newell
One of the largest man-made lakes in the province, it is home to a scenic provincial park. Found southeast of Calgary, the warm-water lake offers anglers northern pike, walleye, whitefish, yellow perch and a few rainbows near the Bow River inlet. It is rumoured pike can reach 14 kg (30 lbs) here. Its weed beds, points, islands and deep-water breaks fish well from a boat, while winter anglers find productive action through the ice. Watch out for strong afternoon winds.
Picklejar Lakes
The Picklejar Lakes reward a moderate 9 km (5.6 mile) return mountain hike with a chain of clear alpine waters and striking Highwood scenery, home to aggressive Westslope cutthroat trout. These catch-and-release trout lakes are best fished with small flies or light lures along drop-offs, inlets and visible cruising lanes. While the first lake is popular and easily accessed, anglers report great action in the clear aqua-blue waters of the third lake.
Police Outpost Lake
Police Outpost Lake offers peaceful, stocked rainbow-trout fishing in rolling foothill country near the Montana border. The lake also holds northern pike but check size and retention limits on both. Its sheltered water is well suited to canoes, kayaks, float tubes and small boats, while shoreline areas provide additional options. The quiet setting, campground and mountain views make it an appealing weekend destination.
Window Mountain Lake
This is a pretty lake, set below Mount Ward and accessed via a steep 2 km (1.2 mile) hike from Allison Creek Road. The lake holds rainbows in the 1 kg (2 lb) range along with some smaller cutthroat. A narrow trail circumnavigates the lake and while wading isn’t possible due to the steep, rocky shoreline, fly fishing and spincasting from shore both work well. Sometimes the fish bite here, other times they don’t but surrounded by the scenery, it is hard to be disappointed!
We hope this selection has whet your appetite to explore Southern Alberta’s outstanding fishing lakes. Before heading out, pick up a Southern Alberta Backroad Mapbook or our BRMB Maps app! With industry-leading cartographic detail, descriptions of hundreds of additional lakes and rivers, access and stocking information, and special-regulation notes, Backroad Mapbooks gives you the tools to find new waters and plan your next fishing adventure with confidence.
Southern Alberta Backroad Mapbook
Do you have a favourite lake you would like to share? Let us know in the comments below and share your own adventures with us on Instagram using #brmblife.
