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Fishing North Buck Lake: what the data says
4,922-acre lake near Frains. 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. Below is the species-by-species picture, pulled from the same data the map uses.
Burbot fishing at North Buck Lake
In spring, burbot run shallow here, mostly 6 to 20 ft. Summer fish stay in 6 to 20 ft, and winter fish hold in 5 to 20 ft. Deep basin is the standout, a deep basin at roughly 20 ft, rated prime for spring burbot. 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 |
Cisco (Lake Herring) fishing at North Buck Lake
Start shallow in spring: cisco (lake herring) sit in 5 to 20 ft that time of year. Summer fish stay in 6 to 20 ft, and winter fish hold in 6 to 20 ft. The spot to know is Deep basin, a deep basin in about 20 ft of water that rates prime for cisco (lake herring) in spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning. Tie on a vertical flutter spoon (small) or a drop-shot micro plastic and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Small silver spoon, Tiny swim jig (white) |
| Summer | 6 to 20 ft | dawn | Vertical flutter spoon (small), Drop-shot micro plastic |
| Fall | 4 to 20 ft | dusk & dawn | Small casting spoon, Inline spinner (silver) |
| Winter | 6 to 20 ft | dawn | Small jigging spoon (glow/silver), Tungsten jig + minnow head |
Lake Whitefish fishing at North Buck Lake
In spring, lake whitefish run shallow here, mostly 6 to 20 ft. Summer fish stay in 6 to 20 ft, and winter fish hold in 6 to 20 ft. Deep basin is the standout, a deep basin at roughly 20 ft, rated prime for summer lake whitefish. Best bite is early morning. 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 | 6 to 20 ft | midday & dawn | Small jig + waxworm, Blade bait (small) |
| Summer | 6 to 20 ft | dawn | Blade bait vertical, Small jigging spoon |
| Fall | 5 to 20 ft | dusk | Small spoon (gold), Jig + plastic larva |
| Winter | 6 to 20 ft | midday & dawn | Jigging spoon + bead chain, Tungsten jig + waxie |
Northern Pike fishing at North Buck Lake
In spring, northern pike run shallow here, mostly 2 to 8 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 8 to 20 ft, and winter fish settle into 5 to 15 ft. Shallow bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 3 ft, rated prime for spring northern pike. 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 | 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 North Buck Lake
Start shallow in spring: walleye sit in 4 to 15 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 6 to 20 ft, and winter fish settle into 6 to 20 ft. The spot to know is Sharp break, a drop-off in about 9 ft of water that rates prime for walleye in fall. In summer the feeding windows fall in the evening and early morning. Tie on a crawler harness on bottom bouncer or a deep crankbait (trolled) and you're in the game.
| 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 North Buck Lake
In spring, yellow perch run shallow here, mostly 3 to 12 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 6 to 20 ft, and winter fish settle into 6 to 20 ft. Shallow bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 3 ft, rated prime for spring yellow perch. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning. A drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm covers the summer program.
| 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
- Sharp break: drop-off, around 9 ft
- Shoreline point: point, around 7 ft
- Secondary point: point, around 6 ft
- Weed flat: weed flat, around 6 ft
- Break off the point: drop-off, around 5 ft
- Shoreline point: point, around 5 ft
- Main-lake point: point, around 3 ft
- Shallow bay flat: weed flat, 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
Common questions
How deep is North Buck Lake?
North Buck 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 North Buck Lake?
Anglers target walleye, northern pike, yellow perch, lake whitefish, burbot, cisco (lake herring) on North Buck Lake.
Where is the best fishing spot on North Buck 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 North Buck 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
Amisk Lake · Charron Lake · Skeleton Lake · Hanmore Lake · Lac la Biche · Claude Lake
See how North Buck 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.