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!
Wondering what the ice fishing rules and bag limit is for ice fishing all species at sturgeon lake ab.
Thank you for the comment, Matthias! For the latest fishing regulation information be sure to check out: https://albertaregulations.ca/fishingregs/ I believe Sturgeon Lake is located in ES4 and it appears that the regulations change depending on the time of year. I hope you can get on em!