The 2019 Fishing Regulations have been released and each year I take some time to sit down and become familiar with the changes. Last spring I read an article in a paper from Calgary claiming that fishing opportunities were improving because a few lakes in the province opened to walleye retention, what they didn’t reveal was the number of lakes closing far outweighed the number that opened. I thought this was a curious piece of journalism, so this year I decided to compare the changes of pike and walleye retention limits throughout the province. Outlined below are the changes to the regulations from the previous year:
ES1:
Picklejar Lakes: regulations now include tributaries and outlets
ES2:
Jackfish lake: now 0 limit on Pike, was 1 pike over 63 cm in 2018
Brazeau River: now catch and release downstream of the reservoir
Nordegg River: now catch and release only
ES3:
Beta Lake: now allowed 3 pike of any size; limit was 3 over 63 cm in 2018
Lodgepole Pond: added to regulations, allowed to keep 2 trout
Long Lake: now allowed to keep 1 walleye of any size; was 0 limit in 2018
Wolf Lake: now allowed to keep 1 walleye of any size; was 0 limit in 2018
Athabasca River: now allowed 5 whitefish over 30 cm and 2 brook trout of any size at specific times of the year; limit was 0 for each in 2018
Jarvis Creek: now 0 limit on pike; pike were not likely to be found in 2018
ES4:
Meekwap Lake: now 1 pike over 63 cm; was 3 over 63 cm in 2018
Snipe Lake: now 0 limit on pike; was 1 under 75 cm in 2018
Sturgeon Lake: now 1 walleye over 50 cm; was 1 over 43 cm in 2018
PP1:
No changes to regulations in PP1 from 2018
PP2:
Battle Lake: now 0 limit on pike; was 3 over 63 cm in 2018
Berry Creek Reservoir: now 0 limit on walleye, 1 pike over 63 cm; was 3 walleye over 50 cm and 0 pike in 2018
Forestburg Reservoir: now 0 limit on pike; was 3 over 63 cm in 2018
Isle Lake: now 1 pike over 63 cm; was 0 limit in 2018
NB1:
All lakes within Lakeland Provincial Park: now 0 limit on pike; was 1 over 63 cm in 2018
Alexander Hamilton Pond: added to regulations
Bluet Lake: now 1 pike over 70cm; was 1 over 63 cm in 2018
Claude Lake: now 1 walleye of any size; was 0 limit in 2018
Elinor Lake: now 0 limit on pike; was 1 over 63 cm in 2018
Fork Lake: now 0 limit on pike: was 1 under 63 cm or over 100 cm in 2018
Francis Lake: now 0 limit on pike; was 3 over 63 cm in 2018
Heart Lake: now 0 limit on pike; was 3 over 63 cm in 2018
Ironwood Lake: now 0 limit on pike; was 1 over 63 cm in 2018
Lac La Biche: now 0 limit on pike; was 1 over 75 cm in 2018
Logan Lake: now 0 limit on pike; was 3 over 63 cm in 2018
Piche Lake: now 0 limit on pike; was 3 over 63 cm in 2018
Pinehurst Lake: now 0 limit on pike; was 1 over 63 cm in 2018
Whitefish Lake: now 0 limit on pike; was 1 over 63 cm in 2018
NB2:
Lac La Nonne: now 1 pike over 63 cm; was 0 limit in 2018
Long Lake: now 0 limit on pike; was 2 over 63 cm in 2018
Long Island Lake: now 1 pike over 63 cm; was 0 limit in 2018
Mitsue Lake: added to regulations
Narrow Lake: now 0 limit on pike; was 2 over 63 cm in 2018
Lesser Slave River: limits remain the same but now open from June 1st to October 31; was open from June 1st to March 31st
NB3:
Equisteum Lake: now 0 limit on walleye and pike; was 3 walleye over 50 cm and 3 pike over 63 cm in 2018
Goodfish Lake: now 0 limit on walleye and pike; was 3 walleye over 50 cm and 3 pike over 63 cm in 2018
Hutch Lake: now 1 walleye over 50 cm and 1 pike over 63 cm; was 0 limit on walleye and pike in 2018
Little Sandy Lake: now 0 limit on walleye, pike and whitefish; was 3 walleye over 50 cm, 3 pike over 63 cm and 10 whitefish in 2018
Long Lake: now 0 limit on walleye and pike; was 3 walleye over 50 cm and 2 pike over 70 cm in 2018
North Wabasca Lake: now 0 limit on walleye and pike; was 2 walleye over 50 cm and 2 pike over 63 cm in 2018
Rainbow Lake: now 0 limit on walleye and pike; was 1 walleye over 50 cm and 3 pike over 55 cm in 2018
Sandy Lake: now 1 pike over 75 cm; was 3 over 63 cm in 2018
South Wabasca Lake: now 0 limit on walleye and 1 pike over 75 cm; was 2 walleye over 50 cm on certain portion of lake and 2 pike over 63 cm in 2018
Thurston Lake: now 0 limit on walleye and pike; was 3 walleye over 43 cm and 3 pike over 63 cm in 2018
Unnamed (Artisinn) Lake: added to regulations
Utikumasis Lake: now 1 walleye over 50 cm and 0 limit on pike: was 1 walleye over 43 cm and 3 pike over 63 cm in 2018
NB4:
No changes to regulations in NB4 from 2018
In Summary:
Walleye:
4 lakes opened or limits increased for walleye retention
9 lakes reduced limits to walleye retention
Northern Pike:
6 lakes opened or limits increased for northern pike retention
30 lakes reduced limits to northern pike retention
Last year we saw quite a few lakes close to walleye retention. This year wasn’t a dramatic change to walleye but the number of lakes that closed to pike retention is huge. It looks as though Fisheries is shifting their focus to pike sustainability.
lakes regulation on min length must be clearer .
ex, 63 cm min . can you keep anything over that or only that length ?
You are right, the regulations take some effort to interpret correctly. I usually keep a few copies in various places so I always have one to reference. To answer your question, when the size is stated at a minimum, as in your example, you’re allowed to keep anything that is the stated length or over. If it helps, the definitions on page 15 of the 2019 Alberta Sportfishing Regulations can help clarify. Here is a link to the current regulations: http://albertaregulations.ca/