
Narrow Lake is a medium-sized body of water located an hour's drive north of Edmonton or a half-hour's drive south of Athabasca; as the name suggests, this lake has an elongated or narrow shape that's slightly wider near the midpoint (where the campground and boat launch are).
I enjoy fishing at this lake because it's a quiet place with lots of beautiful scenery. If you like nature and being outdoors, you will definitely enjoy fishing here.
From Athabasca: Take the QE2 west to the 812 and continue driving west. Turn left (south) to stay on the 812. Turn right (west) on Township Rd 652. Stay on Township Rd 652 until you reach the campground.
From Edmonton: Take the QE2 south to Hwy 663. Turn left (west) onto Hwy 663. Turn right (north) onto the 812. Turn left(west) onto Township Rd 652. Stay on Township Rd 652 until you reach the campground.
To the best of my knowledge, all of the amenities are located within the campground and include:
Link to the campground website: https://athabascacounty.com/narrow-lake-campground/
There are no public beaches (that I know of); however, the boat launch is a popular "hot spot" for beach-goers because of its sandy bank. Is it a good idea for people to swim in front of the boat launch? No, but they do, so watch out for people in the water if you're launching or docking your boat.
Yes, the boat launch and floating dock are beside the campground.
Parking is limited to a few small spots near the boat launch; most people with trailers find parking beside the road in the grass (ditch).
If you open the fishing regulations, Narrow Lake should be under NB2. I've included a link to NB2 for your convenience.
https://albertaregulations.ca/fishingregs/nb2.html
The island in the middle of the lake is a popular "hot spot" among local fishermen because it's a unique area of the lake with many structures that fish are attracted to.
I usually see schools of perch and bait fish among the reeds and shallow flats surrounding the island. Pike and walleye are also near; however, It's more common to encounter them in the deep weed patches and steep drop-offs of the island's littoral zone.
With the exception of a few shallow areas, most of the littoral zone is fairly deep throughout this lake, allowing you to hit the deep weed patches and drowned timber within casting distance from shore. I like to troll along the shoreline at a depth of around 15 to 20 feet in the early morning, moving to 20 - 25 feet by late afternoon.
I've experimented with most of "my go-to lures," and for whatever reason, I've had the best of luck trolling with a metallic, medium-diving jerk bait — Of course, multiple factors go into lure selection, so you may have to play around a bit before finding "the flavour of the day."
This lake is great for casting because of the many dead trees sticking out of the water. (In case you didn't know, sunken trees are good hiding spots for fish.) If casting is your preferred method of fishing, then you will appreciate all the drowned timber lining the shoreline and littoral zone.
Except for a few weedy spots, shore fishing is good throughout most of this lake. This lake gets deep fast, so most people should have no problem casting their lure far enough to hit the 15 - 20 foot depth range.
Snagging can be a problem because of trees that have fallen into the water. I'd suggest a heavier line for pulling hooks out of snagged wood.
The shoreline is accessible by foot, but there are a few private residences (cabins) to look out for. The terrain is also unsuitable for people with mobility issues because it's steep, uneven and a forest. If you have mobility issues or don't want to travel far, I recommend staying close to the campground.