Sign inSign up freeRecent catches at Fork Lake
Shared by DepthScout anglers. Exact spots stay private, always.
Fishing Fork Lake: what the data says
3,433-acre lake near Rich Lake. The lake tops out around 50 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 Fork Lake
In spring, burbot run shallow here, mostly 15 to 50 ft. Summer fish stay in 15 to 50 ft, and winter fish hold in 13 to 50 ft. The spot to know is Deep basin, a deep basin in about 50 ft of water that rates prime for burbot in spring. Plan around after dark and midday in the warm months. Summer baits: a heavy jig + cut bait gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 15 to 50 ft | night & dusk | Glow jigging spoon + cut bait, Rattle bait (dark) |
| Summer | 15 to 50 ft | night & midday | Heavy jig + cut bait |
| Fall | 15 to 50 ft | night & dusk | Glow spoon + minnow head, Blade bait (slow) |
| Winter | 13 to 50 ft | night & dusk | Glow tungsten + cut bait, Rattle spoon + minnow head |
Lake Whitefish fishing at Fork Lake
In spring, lake whitefish run shallow here, mostly 15 to 45 ft. They move out to 15 to 50 ft in summer and finish the year down in 15 to 50 ft. Deep basin is the standout, a deep basin at roughly 50 ft, rated prime for summer lake whitefish. Plan around early morning in the warm months. Tie on a blade bait vertical or a small jigging spoon and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 15 to 45 ft | midday & dawn | Small jig + waxworm, Blade bait (small) |
| Summer | 15 to 50 ft | dawn | Blade bait vertical, Small jigging spoon |
| Fall | 8 to 30 ft | dusk | Small spoon (gold), Jig + plastic larva |
| Winter | 15 to 50 ft | midday & dawn | Jigging spoon + bead chain, Tungsten jig + waxie |
Northern Pike fishing at Fork 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. 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 and the evening. 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 | 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 Fork Lake
Spring walleye on Fork Lake hold shallow, usually 4 to 15 ft. They move out to 15 to 35 ft in summer and finish the year down in 20 to 40 ft. The spot to know is Break off the point, a drop-off in about 34 ft of water that rates prime for walleye in fall. Plan around the evening and early morning in the warm months. 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 | 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 Fork Lake
Spring yellow perch on Fork Lake hold shallow, usually 3 to 12 ft. By summer they slide out to 10 to 30 ft, and by winter most fish are in 15 to 35 ft. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in about 3 ft of water that rates prime for yellow perch in spring. 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 | 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 50 ft
- Break off the point: drop-off, around 34 ft
- Shallow feeding flat: feeding flat, around 20 ft
- Shallow feeding flat: feeding flat, around 19 ft
- Shoreline point: point, around 14 ft
- Weed flat: weed flat, around 6 ft
- Sharp break: drop-off, around 5 ft
- Main-lake point: point, around 4 ft
- Secondary point: point, around 3 ft
- Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 3 ft
- Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 3 ft
- Rock reef: rock pile, around 3 ft
- Rock reef: rock pile, around 3 ft
- Weed flat: weed flat, around 2 ft
Common questions
How deep is Fork Lake?
Fork Lake is about 50 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 Fork Lake?
Anglers target walleye, northern pike, yellow perch, lake whitefish, burbot on Fork Lake.
Where is the best fishing spot on Fork Lake?
Deep basin is the top-rated area: a deep basin in about 50 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 Fork 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
Ironwood Lake · Floatingstone Lake · Pinehurst Lake · Goodfish Lake · Garner Lake · Lower Mann Lake
See how Fork Lake stacks up: best walleye lakes in Alberta · best northern pike lakes in Alberta · best yellow perch lakes in Alberta · best lake whitefish 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.