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Fishing Crane Lake: what the data says
2,537-acre lake near Happy Hollow. The lake tops out around 85 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.
Burbot fishing at Crane Lake
Start shallow in spring: burbot sit in 25 to 70 ft that time of year. By summer they slide out to 26 to 85 ft, and by winter most fish are in 15 to 60 ft. Deep basin is the standout, a deep basin at roughly 85 ft, rated prime for summer burbot. Best bite is after dark and midday. Tie on a heavy jig + cut bait and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 25 to 70 ft | night & dusk | Glow jigging spoon + cut bait, Rattle bait (dark) |
| Summer | 26 to 85 ft | night & midday | Heavy jig + cut bait |
| Fall | 30 to 80 ft | night & dusk | Glow spoon + minnow head, Blade bait (slow) |
| Winter | 15 to 60 ft | night & dusk | Glow tungsten + cut bait, Rattle spoon + minnow head |
Cisco (Lake Herring) fishing at Crane Lake
In spring, cisco (lake herring) run shallow here, mostly 10 to 40 ft. They move out to 40 to 80 ft in summer and finish the year down in 20 to 60 ft. The spot to know is Deep basin, a deep basin in about 85 ft of water that rates prime for cisco (lake herring) in summer. Plan around early morning in the warm months. Summer baits: a vertical flutter spoon (small) or a drop-shot micro plastic gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 10 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | Small silver spoon, Tiny swim jig (white) |
| Summer | 40 to 80 ft | dawn | Vertical flutter spoon (small), Drop-shot micro plastic |
| Fall | 5 to 25 ft | dusk & dawn | Small casting spoon, Inline spinner (silver) |
| Winter | 20 to 60 ft | dawn | Small jigging spoon (glow/silver), Tungsten jig + minnow head |
Northern Pike fishing at Crane Lake
In spring, northern pike run shallow here, mostly 2 to 8 ft. They move out to 8 to 20 ft in summer and finish the year down in 5 to 15 ft. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in about 3 ft of water that rates prime for northern pike in spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Tie on a bucktail or a weedless spoon over cabbage and you're in the game.
| 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 Crane Lake
In spring, walleye run shallow here, mostly 4 to 15 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 15 to 35 ft, and winter fish settle into 20 to 40 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Break off the point: a drop-off around 17 ft that scores prime in fall. In summer the feeding windows fall in the evening and early morning. A crawler harness on bottom bouncer or a deep crankbait (trolled) covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 4 to 15 ft | dusk & dawn | 1/8 oz jig + minnow, Hair jig |
| Summer | 15 to 35 ft | dusk & dawn | Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 12 to 40 ft | dusk & night | Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow |
| Winter | 20 to 40 ft | dusk & dawn | Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait |
Yellow Perch fishing at Crane Lake
In spring, yellow perch run shallow here, mostly 3 to 12 ft. They move out to 10 to 30 ft in summer and finish the year down in 15 to 35 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Shallow bay flat: a weed flat around 3 ft that scores prime in spring. Best bite is 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 | 10 to 30 ft | dawn | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 12 to 35 ft | midday | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday & dawn | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Notable structure
- Deep basin: deep basin, around 85 ft
- Shallow feeding flat: feeding flat, around 22 ft
- Shallow feeding flat: feeding flat, around 21 ft
- Break off the point: drop-off, around 17 ft
- Shoreline point: point, around 5 ft
- Secondary point: point, around 4 ft
- Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 4 ft
- Main-lake point: point, around 3 ft
- Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 3 ft
- Weed flat: weed flat, around 3 ft
Common questions
How deep is Crane Lake?
Crane Lake is about 85 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 Crane Lake?
Anglers target walleye, northern pike, yellow perch, burbot, cisco (lake herring) on Crane Lake.
Where is the best fishing spot on Crane Lake?
Deep basin is the top-rated area: a deep basin in about 85 ft of water that rates prime for burbot in summer. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
When is the best time to fish Crane 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
Tucker Lake · Hilda Lake · Ethel Lake · May Lake · Marie Lake · Burnt Lake
See how Crane 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.