In keeping with tradition, here’s my summary of the Alberta Fishing Regulation changes for 2022! The significant investment ($50 million) over the last couple years in Alberta’s trout stocking facilities will start to show benefits for the trout lakes across the province. Stocking in many of the southern lakes is already underway with many more to come. The Quality Stocked Fisheries program is also expanding and this year a significant waterbody has been added to the list, Pine Coulee Reservoir. For more information on the Quality Stocked Fisheries program, check out my previous post.
Walleye fry are continuing to be stocked to replenish some lakes but it will be a few more years until those walleye reach a catchable size. New for this season is that class C walleye tags will no longer be part of the draw system but can be purchased separately after May 5th.
Outlined below are the changes compared to the previous year for each lake with a summary at the end:
ES1:
Pine Coulee Reservoir – now bait ban and trout limit reduced to 1 over 50cm for 2022, was 5 trout of any size.
ES2:
Clearwater River – from FTR to N.Sask River total bait ban. Maggots were previously allowed in 2021.
North Saskatchewan River – from Bighorn Dam to Highway 22/39 total bait ban. Maggots were previously allowed in 2021
ES3:
Minnow Lake – now allowed 1 walleye over 50 cm, was SHL in 2021.
Shiningbank Lake – now 0 lake whitefish, was 10 in 2021.
Sundance Lake – now 3 pike over 63 cm, fell under general regs (3 pike no size restrictions) in 2021.
ES4:
County Sportplex Pond – added to regulations. 0 trout retention.
PP1:
Clear Lake – now 0 pike, was 1 over 100 cm in 2021.
Crawling Valley Reservoir – now walleye SHL available, was 0 walleye in 2021.
Forty Mile Coulee Reservoir – Now 0 pike, was 3 over 63 cm in 2021.
Sherburne Lake– now 1 walleye over 50 cm, was 3 over 50 cm in 2021.
NB1:
Redwater River – now 1 pike over 63 cm within 500 m of confluence of NSR, was 3 over 63 cm in 2021.
NB2:
Lesser Slave Lake – now walleye retention reduced to 1 within slot size of 45-50 cm and 0 pike retention, was 1 or 2 walleye over 43 cm and 3 pike over 55 cm in 2021.
Lesser Slave River – Regulations for river portions consolidated. Now 1 walleye 45-50 cm and 0 pike, was 1 walleye over 43 cm and 2 pike over 63 cm in 2021.
NB3:
Gods Lake – now open as of June 1, was open June 16 in 2021.
Talbot Lake – now 1 pike over 70 cm, was 3 pike over 63 cm in 2021.
Wadlin Lake – now SHL for walleye and 0 pike, was 1 walleye over 50 cm and 1 pike 63-70 cm in 2021.
IN SUMMARY:
WALLEYE:
3 lakes either open or increased for walleye retention
1 lake closed or reduced for walleye retention
NORTHERN PIKE:
0 lakes either opened or increased pike retention
7 lakes closed or reduced for pike retention
