Cold Lake’s fishing named one of 17 best in North America

A local fishery is making waves as one of the continent’s best according to an online blog.

Fishing Booker named Cold Lake as one of 17 of the best in North America in late November.

Cold Lake was able to earn a spot based on the size and variety of popular fish and the skill and history of local fishing communities, with bonus points for sustainability.

“That’s great. You know what, Cold Lake is a unique body of water,” said Fish Culture Manager, Craig Copeland.

“When you can get on that lake. It’s gorgeous. I mean, there’s hardly any development on the lake. And so when you get out there, and you think you’re in the middle of nowhere, and the fishing has been fantastic.

“For lake trout, certainly, it’s been great. There’s also the opportunity to catch some pretty big pike in Cold Lake. We saw that young fellow this year, catch up big walleye. It’s great to be recognized.”

Cold Lake was just one of three other Canadian fisheries chosen, those being Vancouver Island and Prince Edward Island.

Cold Lake is a favorite of Albertan ice fishers, with plenty of visitors from Saskatchewan and beyond. More importantly, the fish seem more than happy to live here. Lake Trout can reach 20 pounds or more. The Pike bite is just as brilliant. Throw in Whitefish, Burbot, Perch, and Sauger, and you have a great all-rounder that’s well worth stepping onto the ice for. – Fishing Booker

The other fisheries spanned smaller Caribbean nations, Mexico, and the United States.

Copeland said the lake saw a lot of activity this past summer.

“A lot of people came to Cold Lake from outside the area to go fishing for trout, and just enjoy the parks and everything that we have in Cold Lake,” he said.

“It’s so rare for a lake trout population to be three hours away from a major center like Edmonton. Most cases with lake trout, you have to go far away up in the bush to buy a flow plane to catch trout.”

While the lake is also touted for Pike, Whitefish, Burbot, Perch, and Sauger, the fishery will is set on stocking walleye in 2021, as over $10 million in improvements were announced in the summer.

Other selected fisheries were:

• Jacó, Costa Rica
• Ambergris Caye, Belize
• Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands
• Cozumel, Mexico
• Los Cabos, Mexico
• Florida Keys, FL
• Emerald Coast, FL
• Lake Fork, TX
• Orange County, CA
• Outer Banks, NC
• Lake St. Clair, MI/ON
• Thousand Islands, ON/NY
• Missoula, MT
• Bristol Bay, AK