Best fishing near Calgary
Article By: Joe Seaborne 2021-04-21
Calgary is among one of the select few cities that are within an hour’s drive from the Rocky Mountains—making it the perfect city to call home if you enjoy the outdoors!
I mean How many people are lucky enough to get off work at 4:00 and be fishing in the mountains by 6:00?
But the mountains aren’t the only place to visit,
the Alberta Badlands are only an hour and a half drive in the opposite direction and don’t forget about the foothills and prairies. There’s also a ton of crown land all around Southern Alberta that’s open to anyone that wants to enjoy it.
Is Calgary the hunting and fishing hub of Southern Alberta? I think so.
So where to start—where are some good places to go fishing around Calgary.
There’s a ton of great places to go fishing within proximity to Calgary, some are well-known hotspots while others are hidden gems. I’ve compiled a list of my favourite places to go fishing near Calgary, so without further ado, I present to you...
The best fishing near Calgary:
Mcgregor Lake Reservoir:
Mcgregor Lakes a good all-round place to go fishing because it’s one of the largest lakes in Southern Alberta and has a wide variety of species to fish.
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Starting from the north end, Mcgregor Lake is wide and flat then becomes narrow as you move further south.
Q.What kind of fish are in Mcgregor Lake?
A.Pike, Walleye, Whitefish, Rainbow Trout, Yellow Perch and Burbot.
Q.Does Mcgregor Lake have any amenities?
A. There’s a campground, washrooms, garbages, a boat launch and a parking lot.
Q.How long does it take to drive to Mcgregor Lake from Calgary?
A. Approximately an hour and a half.
Q. What are the fishing regulations for Mcgregor Lake?
A. You can find the regulations in the Alberta Fishing Regulations under PP1.
Read more about Mcgregor Lake...
Bearspaw Reservoir
Bearspaw Reservoir is fed by the Bow River and located just upstream of Bowness Park. It would be a convenient place to go fishing however, access to the lake is difficult but possible.
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Bearspaw Reservoir isn’t very big but it’s fairly deep and fishing’s good. Although it’s difficult to get to the reservoir, once you’ve made it to the dam, you’ll have no trouble finding a good fishing spot.
Q. How do you hike up to Bearspaw Reservoir?
A. You have to park downstream of the dam and walk along the river until you reach the reservoir. It takes about an hour.
Q. What are the fishing regulations for Bearspaw Reservoir?
A. Bearspaw Reservoir is listed in the Alberta Fishing Regulations under ES1.
Q. What type of fish are in Bearspaw Reservoir?
A. Mostly Trout and Whitefish but sometimes you can find the odd pike.
Read more about Bearspaw Reservoir...
Ghost Lake Reservoir
Ghost Lake is a large body of water that’s about an hour’s drive from N.W.
Calgary just off the 1A. It’s not the easiest lake to fish but if you’re willing to put in the time, there are some big lakers to be had.
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The lake has a long shape that’s wider near the dam and gets narrower the further upstream you travel. It’s a large, wide-open lake that’s suitable for big fishing boats and yachts but also a popular destination for canoeing and kayaking.
Q. How deep is Ghost Lake?
A. Around 100feet deep.
Q. What type of fish are in Ghost Lake?
A. Mostly Trout and Whitefish.
Q. What are the fishing regulations for Ghost Lake?
A. Ghost Lake is listed in the Alberta Fishing Regulations under ES1.
Pine Coulee Reservoir
Pine Coulee Reservoir is a narrow body of water that’s approximately an hour and a half drive from Calgary or fifteen minutes west of Stavely. It’s a popular place to go fishing so you can expect lots of people.
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It’s a long and narrow lake that doesn’t have very many underwater features except for a couple of bridges and some islands on the south end.
Q. What type of fish are in Pine Coulee Reservoir?
A. Northern Pike, Walleye, Trout and Burbot.
Q. What are the fishing regulations for Pine Coulee Reservoir?
A. The regulations can be found in the Alberta Fishing Regulations under ES1
Q.How deep is Pine Coulee Reservoir?
A. It has a maximum depth of approximately 35 feet.
Read more about Pine Coulee...
Twin Valley Reservoir
Twin Valley Reservoir has a few deep spots, many drops, channels and hidden islands. It’s can be a challenging place to fish but highly recommend it if you’ve never been there!
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Starting from the inlet, Twin Valley Reservoir is long and narrow until you reach the middle of the lake, at which point it widens up. There’s a big island in the middle that’s also the starting point from where the lake splits in half into a y shape.
Q. What type of fish are in Twin Valley Reservoir?
A. Northern Pike.
Q. What are the fishing regulations for Twin Valley Reservoir?
A. The fishing regulations can be found in the Alberta Fishing Regulations under PP1.
Q. Does Twin Valley Reservoir have a boat launch?
A. Yes, on the south end of the lake.
Read more about Twin Valley...
Eagle Lake
Eagle Lake is a pike and walleye hole that’s located about an hour east of Calgary or 10 minutes past Strathmore. It’s a suitable lake for small fishing boats but I wouldn’t put anything big in the water because the boat launch isn’t very good.
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It’s a shallow, wide-open body of water that has a fairly flat lake bed and not very many underwater features. Fishing’s good all year but usually a little better early in the season before the weeds take over.
Q. What type of fish are in Eagle Lake?
A. Northern Pike, Walleye and Yellow Perch and Burbot.
Q. What are the fishing regulations for Eagle Lake?
A. Eagle Lake is listed in the Alberta Fishing Regulations under PP1.
Q. Does Eagle Lake have a public boat launch?
A. Not really, it’s more of a dirt road that goes into the lake.
Q. Does the R.V. Park have a boat launch?
A. Yes.
Read more about Eagle Lake...
Champion Lakes
Champion Lakes is about an hour’s drive west of Calgary, located in the Kananaskis Public Land Use Zone. It’s a nice place to go fishing because the waters super clear and the two ponds are surrounded by trees.
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Champion Lakes is made up of two small ponds that are connected by a little stream.
Q. What type of fish are in Champion Lakes?
A. Rainbow Trout.
Q. Is Champion Lakes difficult to access?
A. Yes, the hike up to the first pond is very steep.
Q. What are the fishing regulations for Champion Lakes?
A. Champion Lakes is listed in the Alberta Fishing Regulations under ES1.
Q. Does Champion Lakes have a boat launch?
A. No.
Read more about Champion Lakes...
Upper Kananaskis Lake
If you want to do some real fishing in the mountains then Upper Kananaskis Lake might be for you! This is a beautiful lake that’s extremely deep and fun to fish. At least if you don’t catch anything, you’ll still enjoy the view.
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Upper Kananaskis Lake is a medium-sized body of water that has a maximum depth of around three hundred and sixty feet. The lake bed has many steep drops, holes, boulders and lots of hiding places, which makes it an interesting place to fish.
Q. What type of fish are in Upper Kananaskis Lake?
A. Rainbow and Cutthroat Trout.
Q. What are the fishing regulations for Upper Kananaskis Lake?
A. Upper Kananaskis Lake is listed in the Alberta Fishing Regulations under ES1.
Q. Does Upper Kananaskis Lake have a boat launch?
A. Yes, over by the day-use area.
Read more about Upper Kananaskis...
There are also many other great places to fish around Calgary that are all within a two-hour drive. The best thing you can do is to get out there and try them all for yourself!