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Fishing Cardinal Lake: what the data says
12,513-acre lake near Grimshaw. The lake tops out around 13 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. Here is how the season plays out for each species, straight from the data behind the map.
Northern Pike fishing at Cardinal Lake
Spring northern pike on Cardinal Lake hold shallow, usually 2 to 8 ft. They move out to 4 to 13 ft in summer and finish the year down in 4 to 13 ft. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in about 2 ft of water that rates prime for northern pike in spring. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Summer baits: a bucktail or a weedless spoon over cabbage gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | #5 inline spinner, Spoon (red/white) |
| Summer | 4 to 13 ft | dawn & dusk | Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage |
| Fall | 4 to 13 ft | midday & dawn | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), Husky-style jerkbait |
| Winter | 4 to 13 ft | midday | Tip-ups, Large jigging spoon |
Yellow Perch fishing at Cardinal Lake
In spring, yellow perch run shallow here, mostly 3 to 12 ft. By summer they slide out to 4 to 13 ft, and by winter most fish are in 4 to 13 ft. The spot to know is Deep basin, a deep basin in about 13 ft of water that rates prime for yellow perch in fall. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning. 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 | 4 to 13 ft | dawn | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 4 to 13 ft | midday | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 4 to 13 ft | midday & dawn | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Notable structure
- Deep basin: deep basin, around 13 ft
- Break off the point: drop-off, around 5 ft
- Shoreline point: point, around 3 ft
- Shoreline point: point, around 3 ft
- Main-lake point: point, around 2 ft
- Secondary point: point, around 2 ft
- Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 2 ft
- Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 2 ft
- Gravel shoal: gravel shoal, around 2 ft
- Gravel shoal: gravel shoal, around 2 ft
- Weed flat: weed flat, around 2 ft
Common questions
How deep is Cardinal Lake?
Cardinal Lake is about 13 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 Cardinal Lake?
Anglers target northern pike, yellow perch on Cardinal Lake.
Where is the best fishing spot on Cardinal Lake?
Shallow bay flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 2 ft of water that rates prime for northern pike in spring. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
When is the best time to fish Cardinal Lake?
For northern pike, the summer bite is best in early morning and the evening. Each species page section below lists the seasonal windows, and the map shows a live NOW badge when you're inside one.
Nearby waters
Sturgeon Lake · South Heart Reservoir · Snipe Lake · Bear Lake · Iosegun Lake · Smoke Lake
See how Cardinal Lake stacks up: best northern pike lakes in Alberta · best yellow perch 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.