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Fishing May Lake: what the data says
818-acre lake near Happy Hollow. The lake tops out around 46 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 May Lake
Spring burbot on May Lake hold shallow, usually 14 to 46 ft. Summer fish stay in 14 to 46 ft, and winter fish hold in 12 to 46 ft. Deep basin is the standout, a deep basin at roughly 46 ft, rated prime for spring burbot. In summer the feeding windows fall in after dark and midday. Summer baits: a heavy jig + cut bait gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 14 to 46 ft | night & dusk | Glow jigging spoon + cut bait, Rattle bait (dark) |
| Summer | 14 to 46 ft | night & midday | Heavy jig + cut bait |
| Fall | 14 to 46 ft | night & dusk | Glow spoon + minnow head, Blade bait (slow) |
| Winter | 12 to 46 ft | night & dusk | Glow tungsten + cut bait, Rattle spoon + minnow head |
Cisco (Lake Herring) fishing at May Lake
In spring, cisco (lake herring) run shallow here, mostly 10 to 40 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 14 to 46 ft, and winter fish settle into 14 to 46 ft. Deep basin is the standout, a deep basin at roughly 46 ft, rated prime for summer cisco (lake herring). In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning. A vertical flutter spoon (small) or a drop-shot micro plastic covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 10 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | Small silver spoon, Tiny swim jig (white) |
| Summer | 14 to 46 ft | dawn | Vertical flutter spoon (small), Drop-shot micro plastic |
| Fall | 5 to 25 ft | dusk & dawn | Small casting spoon, Inline spinner (silver) |
| Winter | 14 to 46 ft | dawn | Small jigging spoon (glow/silver), Tungsten jig + minnow head |
Lake Whitefish fishing at May Lake
Start shallow in spring: lake whitefish sit in 15 to 45 ft that time of year. By summer they slide out to 14 to 46 ft, and by winter most fish are in 14 to 46 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Deep basin: a deep basin around 46 ft that scores prime in summer. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning. A blade bait vertical or a small jigging spoon covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 15 to 45 ft | midday & dawn | Small jig + waxworm, Blade bait (small) |
| Summer | 14 to 46 ft | dawn | Blade bait vertical, Small jigging spoon |
| Fall | 8 to 30 ft | dusk | Small spoon (gold), Jig + plastic larva |
| Winter | 14 to 46 ft | midday & dawn | Jigging spoon + bead chain, Tungsten jig + waxie |
Northern Pike fishing at May Lake
Spring northern pike on May Lake hold shallow, usually 2 to 8 ft. By summer they slide out to 8 to 20 ft, and by winter most fish are in 5 to 15 ft. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in about 8 ft of water that rates prime for northern pike in spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in 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 May 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. The spot to know is Break off the point, a drop-off in about 24 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 May Lake
Start shallow in spring: yellow perch sit in 3 to 12 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 10 to 30 ft, and winter fish settle into 15 to 35 ft. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in about 8 ft of water that rates prime for yellow perch in spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning. Tie on a drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm and you're in the game.
| 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 46 ft
- Break off the point: drop-off, around 24 ft
- Secondary point: point, around 13 ft
- Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 8 ft
- Main-lake point: point, around 7 ft
- Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 2 ft
Common questions
How deep is May Lake?
May Lake is about 46 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 May Lake?
Anglers target walleye, northern pike, yellow perch, lake whitefish, burbot, cisco (lake herring) on May Lake.
Where is the best fishing spot on May Lake?
Deep basin is the top-rated area: a deep basin in about 46 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 May 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
Burnt Lake · Marie Lake · Ethel Lake · Hilda Lake · Crane Lake · Tucker Lake
See how May 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.