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2020 Alberta Fishing Regulations Update

2020 alberta regulations photo

The 2020 Alberta Fishing Regulations have been released and there are quite a few changes to take note of. As a direct result of Fisheries engagement efforts with the public there are more harvest opportunities on many lakes in our province, which is great news. I am also excited about AEP’s plans to introduce walleye stocking and the transfer of pike and perch into lakes that need it. That will go a long way in spreading out angling pressure.

Outlined below are the changes compared to the previous year for each lake with a summary at the end:

ES1:

Bear Pond – now allowed 2 trout, limit was 0 in 2019

Big Iron Lake – now allowed 2 trout, limit was 0 in 2019

Ghost Reservoir – now 0 limit on Cutthroat Trout, previously allowed up to 5 in 2019

Kids Can Catch Pond – now closes Sept 30, was open until Oct 31 in 2019

Quarry Lake – now allowed 2 trout, limit was 0 in 2019

Wedge Pond – now allowed 2 trout, limit was 0 in 2019

Oldman River – sections of the river consolidated in regulations for 2020

ES2:

Abraham Lake – regulations now include downstream of Highway 11 (Cline River bridge)

Lake of the Falls – now no size limit on Cutthroat, was over 30 cm in 2019

Cline River – waterbody details changed to exclude Lake of the Falls and Michele Lake tributaries

ES3:

Bear Lake – bait allowed

Blue Lake – bait allowed

Cache Lake – bait allowed

Chip Lake – bait allowed

Fickle Lake – bait allowed

Graveyard Lake – bait allowed

Gregg Lake – bait allowed

Horseshoe Lake – bait allowed

Jarvis Lake – bait allowed

Long Lake – bait allowed

Millers Lake – added to regulations and now limit of 2 rainbow trout, was 5 trout in 2019

Minnow Lake – bait allowed

Mystery Lake – bait ban for 2020

Shiningbank Lake – Special Harvest License available for walleye, 0 pike limit, 10 whitefish, was 0 walleye, 3 pike over 63 cm and 0 whitefish in 2019

Unnamed (Lodgepole) Pond – bait allowed

Wolf Lake – bait allowed

Mcleod River – Brook trout season limited, was open until Oct. 31 in 2019

Wildhay River – bait ban for 2020

ES4:

A La Peche Lake – 5 trout, was 2 rainbows over 30 cm and 5 trout total in 2019

Iosegun Lake – now 1 walleye slot limit, was Special Harvest Tag in 2019

Smoke Lake – now 0 whitefish

Sturgeon Lake – now 1 walleye slot limit, was 1 over 50 cm in 2019

Cutbank River – added to regulations for 2020

Little Smoky River – sections consolidated in regulations for 2020

Muskeg River – sections consolidated and now 5 trout total, was 2 rainbow over 30 and 5 trout total in 2019

PP1:

Chin Lakes – now 1 walleye slot limit, was 0 in 2019

Forty Mile Coulee Reservoir – now 1 walleye slot limit, was 1 walleye over 55 cm in 2019

Hays (Grantham Reservoir) Lake – now 2 walleye and 2 pike any size limit and open all year, was 3 walleye over 50 cm and 3 pike over 63 cm and closed from Mar 16-May 7 in 2019

Horsefly Lake Reservoir – now 2 walleye and 2 pike any size, was 1 walleye over 55 cm and 3 pike any size in 2019

Johnson Lake – now 1 pike any size, was 3 pike over 63 cm in 2019

Keho Lake – now 1 walleye slot limit and 1 pike slot limit, was 0 walleye and 3 pike over 63 cm in 2019

Mcvinnie Reservoir – now 3 walleye, 3 pike and 5 trout any size, was 5 trout in 2019

Milk River Ridge Reservoir – now 1 walleye slot limit, was 1 walleye over 55 cm in 2019

Park Lake – now 1 walleye and 1 pike any size, was 0 walleye and 3 pike over 63 cm in 2019

Rattlesnake (Sauder) Reservoir – now 1 walleye slot limit, was 0 walleye in 2019

Rock Lake – now 1 pike any size, was 3 pike over 63 cm in 2019

Stafford Reservoir – now 1 walleye slot limit, was 0 walleye in 2019

Cowoki Irrigation Canal – now 0 pike, was 3 over 63 cm in 2019

PP2:

Berry Creek (Carolside) Reservoir – now 1 walleye slot limit and 1 pike slot limit, was 0 walleye and 1 pike over 63 cm in 2019

Buck Lake – now 1 walleye slot limit, was 1 walleye over 50 cm in 2019

Coal Lake – now 1 pike any size, was 3 over 63 cm in 2019

Gull Lake –  now 1 walleye slot limit, was special harvest license in 2019

Little Fish Lake –  added to regulations for 2020

Pine Lake – now 1 walleye any size and 1 pike over 63 cm, was 0 walleye and 3 pike over 63 cm in 2019

Rat Lake – now 1 walleye slot limit, was 1 walleye over 50 cm in 2019

Sylvan Lake – now 1 walleye any size, was 0 walleye in 2019

Berry Creek – now 1 walleye and 1 pike slot limit, was 0 walleye and 1 pike over 63 cm in 2019

NB1:

Amisk Lake – now 0 pike, was 1 pike over 63 cm in 2019

Angling Lake – now 1 pike over 63 cm, was 0 pike in 2019

Bangs Lake – season expanded for tributaries

Behan Lake – now 1 pike any size, was 0 in 2019

Big Chief Lake – now 1 pike any size, was 2 pike any size in 2019

Bourque Lake – now 1 walleye slot limit, was special harvest license in 2019

Cow Lake – now 1 pike any size, was 2 pike any size in 2019

Crane (Moore) Lake – regulations now include outlet stream

Crickett Lake – now 3 pike any size, was 2 pike any size in 2019

Drown Lake – added to regulations for 2020

Elinor Lake – now 1 walleye slot limit and 1 pike slot limit, was walleye special harvest license and 0 pike in 2019

Ethel (Bear) Lake – regulations now include tributaries for 2020

Fork Lake – now 1 pike slot limit, was 0 pike in 2019

Garner Lake – now 1 walleye slot limit, was special harvest license in 2019

Ironwood Lake – now 1 walleye slot limit, was 0 walleye in 2019

Lac Bellevue – now 1 walleye slot limit, was special harvest license in 2019

Lac La Biche – now 1 walleye slot limit, was special harvest license in 2019

Lac La Biche Trout Pond – now 3 pike, 15 perch and 3 trout, was 5 trout in 2019

Lakeland Provincial Park – all lakes within park now combined for 2020

Little Bear Lake – added to regulations for 2020

Lloydminister Pond – now 2 trout, was 5 in 2019

Marie Lake – now 1 walleye slot limit, was 0 walleye in 2019

May Lake – now 1 walleye slot limit, was 0 walleye in 2019

Moose Lake – now 1 walleye slot limit, was special harvest license in 2019

Muriel Lake – regulations now include tributaries for 2020

Pinehurst Lake – now 1 walleye slot limit, was special harvest license in 2019

Skeleton Lake – now 1 walleye slot limit and 1 pike slot limit, was 0 walleye and 1 pike over 63 cm in 2019

Spencer Lake – now 2 walleye slot limit, was 2 walleye over 50 cm in 2019

Tucker Lake – now 2 pike slot limit, was 1 pike over 63 cm in 2019

Wiau Lake – now 1 pike any size, was 0 pike in 2019

La Biche River – now closed for 2020

NB2:

Blue Lake – added to regulations for 2020

Chain (Lower) Lake – now 0 brown trout for 2020

Freeman Lake – now bait allowed, was bait ban in 2019

Gilroy Lake – added to regulations for 2020

Island Lake – now 1 walleye slot limit and 1 pike slot limit, was 0 walleye and 0 pike in 2019

Lawrence Lake – now 3 pike any size, was 2 pike any size in 2019

Lily Lake – added to regulations for 2020

Schuman Lake – now 0 tiger trout and 5 rainbow trout, was 5 trout in 2019

Thunder Lake – added to regulations for 2020

South Heart River – now bait allowed, was bait ban in 2019

Strawberry Creek – now bait allowed, was bait ban in 2019

NB3:

Berry Lake – now 3 pike any size, was 3 pike over 63 cm in 2019

Brintnell Lake – now open all year

Calder Lake – now 3 pike any size, was 3 over 63 cm in 2019

Graham (Trout) Lake – now open to Mar 31, was open until Mar 1 in 2019

Thurston Lake – now 1 pike slot limit, was 0 pike in 2019

Vandersteene Lake – now open from June 1 to Mar 31, was open Mar 2 to Mar 1 in 2019

Wadlin Lake – now 1 pike slot limit, was 0 pike in 2019

Muskwa River – now bait allowed, was bait allowed only in river in 2019

Nipisi River – now bait allowed, was bait allowed only in river in 2019

Smoky River – now bait allowed, was bait allowed only in river in 2019

Wabasca River – now 1 pike over 75 cm in one section of river, was 0 pike in 2019

NB4:

Gardiner Lakes – now 0 walleye and 0 pike, was 1 walleye over 50 and 1 pike over 63 cm in 2019

Winefred lake – now 1 walleye slot limit, was 0 walleye in 2019

Birch Creek – now 0 pike, was 3 pike over 63 cm in 2019

Jackfish River – now 0 pike, was 3 pike over 63 cm in 2019

Monday Creek – now 0 pike, was 3 pike over 63 cm in 2019

Sunday Creek – now 0 pike, was 3 pike over 63 cm in 2019

In Summary:

Walleye: 

27 lakes either open or increased for walleye retention

2 lakes closed or reduced for walleye retention

Northern Pike:

13 lakes either opened or increased pike retention

17 lakes closed or reduced for pike retention

Trout: 

Thanks to the successful introduction of tiger trout to the province there is more opportunity than ever to catch a large trout. But with their introduction comes a couple more rules around stocked trout ponds. It’s no longer safe to assume your retention limit is 5 trout in any stocked pond, remember to check the regs!

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