Sometime approximately 12000 years ago the Luarentide glaciers and ice sheets retreated from the surface of Alberta. This melt water helped create the rivers and lakes we’ve come to love.
Pigeon lake is your stereotypical Alberta lake, very bowl like in its design, and although has more features then a lot of Albertas other lakes, it lacks a lot of structure found in other water bodies across the country. It is a fantastic spot to get the fishing kayak out to and have a great time!
sometimes you catch things besides walleye, like old fishing rods.
Nice catch Gord.
Walleye, are one of my favorite fish to catch and eat, are fairly abundant in Pigeon lake with a population that is stable enough to support a limited harvest through a tag system. (Applications due in spring) Weather i have tags or not, i try to hit pigeon lake for a fishing adventure at least once or twice a year.
Another one on the board!
Finding the walleye depends on the time of year. Its not to difficult, for the most part they tend to hang out on steep drop offs, river mouths, or rocky points either close to or right on bottom. They will be closer to shore in the spring, sometimes really close, and further out as the summer progresses. Suspending mid water during the really hot days.
Robb landed a healthy little walleye
Pigeon lake is one of the best spots to get hooked on walleye fishing, and provides a good time for the beginner and experienced kayak angler. A couple hundred yards off the Pigeon lake provincial park you will find the ledge. Its where the lake drops sharply. Its a popular spot for walleye at pigeon throughout the summer. If you have a depth finder is super easy to locate, and if you don't its still quite easy as you will normally see anywhere form two to twenty other boats out enjoying some good walleye fishing there too. This is a bigger lake and can get wavy quick, be weary of the weather at all times.
Chips and dip on a Wilderness Radar, yes please!!
Any medium rod setup will work for walleye on Pigeon, I use 15lb test with a fluorocarbon leader. Bait wise, my go to lately, has been a long shanked 3/8s black jig, tipped with a dead minnow. (Live bait is prohibited within Alberta.) I like the long shanks as they put the hook further back on the minnow meaning you can get a hookset without the whole shebang being swallowed. If you want to change it up, a swimbait that matches some baitfish within that lake on a 1/4 to 3/8 jig casted out and reeled in with jigging motion can be successful. Don’t forget about bottom bouncers, there designed to bounce off the bottom trailing a minnow and can be really good for locating the walleye and can be lots of fun in itself with a pedal drive yak.
I landed a keeper, but no tags so back she goes
Bring an anchor, and once the walleye are found setup, and jig your heart out. Its a great time, the provincial park offers great camping and picnic areas. Make a week, weekend or day of it. You wont be disappointed.
Cheers
Andrew, Asst. Manager Aquabatics Fishing Team
Gord Decked his Radar out for night fishing.
