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Fishing Buffalo Lake: what the data says
22,200-acre lake near Rochon Sands. The lake tops out around 20 ft. The depth chart is built from real state fisheries GPS surveys, so the humps, channels and drop-offs you see are measured, not guessed. What follows comes from the same scoring engine that paints the spots above.
Burbot fishing at Buffalo Lake
Start shallow in spring: burbot sit in 6 to 20 ft that time of year. Summer fish stay in 6 to 20 ft, and winter fish hold in 5 to 20 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Deep basin: a deep basin around 20 ft that scores prime in spring. Plan around after dark and midday in the warm months. A heavy jig + cut bait covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 6 to 20 ft | night & dusk | Glow jigging spoon + cut bait, Rattle bait (dark) |
| Summer | 6 to 20 ft | night & midday | Heavy jig + cut bait |
| Fall | 6 to 20 ft | night & dusk | Glow spoon + minnow head, Blade bait (slow) |
| Winter | 5 to 20 ft | night & dusk | Glow tungsten + cut bait, Rattle spoon + minnow head |
Northern Pike fishing at Buffalo Lake
Spring northern pike on Buffalo Lake hold shallow, usually 2 to 8 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 8 to 20 ft, and winter fish settle into 5 to 15 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Shallow bay flat: a weed flat around 2 ft that scores prime in spring. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. A bucktail or a weedless spoon over cabbage covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | #5 inline spinner, Spoon (red/white) |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday & dawn | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), Husky-style jerkbait |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft | midday | Tip-ups, Large jigging spoon |
Walleye fishing at Buffalo Lake
Spring walleye on Buffalo Lake hold shallow, usually 4 to 15 ft. By summer they slide out to 6 to 20 ft, and by winter most fish are in 6 to 20 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Break off the point: a drop-off around 15 ft that scores prime in fall. Best bite is the evening and early morning. Summer baits: a crawler harness on bottom bouncer or a deep crankbait (trolled) gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 4 to 15 ft | dusk & dawn | 1/8 oz jig + minnow, Hair jig |
| Summer | 6 to 20 ft | dusk & dawn | Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 6 to 20 ft | dusk & night | Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow |
| Winter | 6 to 20 ft | dusk & dawn | Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait |
Yellow Perch fishing at Buffalo Lake
Spring yellow perch on Buffalo Lake hold shallow, usually 3 to 12 ft. They move out to 6 to 20 ft in summer and finish the year down in 6 to 20 ft. The spot to know is Back-bay flat, a weed flat in about 3 ft of water that rates prime for yellow perch in spring. Plan around early morning in the warm months. Summer baits: a drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 6 to 20 ft | dawn | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 6 to 20 ft | midday | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 6 to 20 ft | midday & dawn | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Notable structure
- Deep basin: deep basin, around 20 ft
- Shallow feeding flat: feeding flat, around 20 ft
- Break off the point: drop-off, around 15 ft
- Feeding flat: feeding flat, around 8 ft
- Shoreline point: point, around 5 ft
- Main-lake point: point, around 3 ft
- Secondary point: point, around 3 ft
- Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 3 ft
- Gravel shoal: gravel shoal, around 3 ft
- Gravel shoal: gravel shoal, around 3 ft
- Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 2 ft
Common questions
How deep is Buffalo Lake?
Buffalo Lake is about 20 ft at its deepest point. The depth chart here comes from real state fisheries GPS surveys, so the contours reflect measured depths.
What fish are in Buffalo Lake?
Anglers target walleye, northern pike, yellow perch, burbot on Buffalo Lake.
Where is the best fishing spot on Buffalo Lake?
Deep basin is the top-rated area: a deep basin in about 20 ft of water that rates prime for burbot in spring. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
When is the best time to fish Buffalo Lake?
For burbot, the summer bite is best in after dark and midday. Each species page section below lists the seasonal windows, and the map shows a live NOW badge when you're inside one.
Nearby waters
Little Beaver Lake · Magee Lake · Chain Lakes · Pine Lake · Coal Lake · Miquelon Lakes
See how Buffalo Lake stacks up: best walleye lakes in Alberta · best northern pike lakes in Alberta · best yellow perch lakes in Alberta · best burbot lakes in Alberta
Browse all Alberta fishing maps or every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry credit: state fisheries survey programs. How we build these maps. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.