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10,480-acre lake near Sylvan Lake. The lake tops out around 60 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.
Drawn out, this is 10,480 acres of water rimmed by 23.1 miles of bank. The shoreline is moderately structured (index 1.6) — enough points and pockets to pattern. 27% of the surface is littoral (under ~15 ft) — cover, weeds and forage water. Call it 8.5 mi long by 2.8 mi wide at the broadest reach. The water lies in Division No. 8. Closest neighbour on DepthScout: Gull Lake, 14 mi northeast of here.
When the water first warms, walleye slide up into 4 to 15 ft. Summer is a 15 to 35 ft game here, winter a 20 to 40 ft one. Start at Sharp break. It's a drop-off holding about 13 ft of water and rates prime come fall. The feeding windows run the evening and early morning. Keep a crawler harness on bottom bouncer or a deep crankbait (trolled) rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 4 to 15 ft | dusk & dawn | Rock reef (5 ft) | 1/8 oz jig + minnow, Hair jig |
| Summer | 15 to 35 ft | dusk & dawn | Sharp break (13 ft) | Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 12 to 40 ft | dusk & night | Sharp break (13 ft) | Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow |
| Winter | 20 to 40 ft | dusk & dawn | Break off the point (46 ft) | Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait |
When the water first warms, yellow perch slide up into 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. If you only fish one area, make it Shallow bay flat: a weed flat around 3 ft that scores prime in spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning. Keep a drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn | Sharp break (13 ft) | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 12 to 35 ft | midday | Sharp break (13 ft) | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday & dawn | Sharp break (13 ft) | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: northern pike in 2 to 8 ft. As the season builds they drop to 8 to 20 ft, wintering in 5 to 15 ft. Top water on the chart: Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in the 3 ft range, prime in spring. Time it for early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a bucktail or a weedless spoon over cabbage gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | #5 inline spinner, Spoon (red/white) |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Sharp break (13 ft) | Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday & dawn | Sharp break (13 ft) | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), Husky-style jerkbait |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft | midday | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Tip-ups, Large jigging spoon |
Spring lake whitefish on Sylvan Lake hold shallow, usually 15 to 45 ft. By summer they slide out to 18 to 60 ft, and by winter most fish are in 18 to 60 ft. The chart's best answer is Deep basin — deep basin, 60 ft, prime for summer. Prime time lands in early morning. The summer box starts with a blade bait vertical or a small jigging spoon.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 15 to 45 ft | midday & dawn | Break off the point (46 ft) | Small jig + waxworm, Blade bait (small) |
| Summer | 18 to 60 ft | dawn | Deep basin (60 ft) | Blade bait vertical, Small jigging spoon |
| Fall | 8 to 30 ft | dusk | Rock reef (5 ft) | Small spoon (gold), Jig + plastic larva |
| Winter | 18 to 60 ft | midday & dawn | Deep basin (60 ft) | Jigging spoon + bead chain, Tungsten jig + waxie |
In spring, burbot run shallow here, mostly 18 to 60 ft. Summer keeps them at 18 to 60 ft, and they winter in 15 to 60 ft. Deep basin is the standout, a deep basin at roughly 60 ft, rated prime for spring burbot. Time it for after dark and midday. You won't need more than a heavy jig + cut bait most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 18 to 60 ft | night & dusk | Deep basin (60 ft) | Glow jigging spoon + cut bait, Rattle bait (dark) |
| Summer | 18 to 60 ft | night & midday | Deep basin (60 ft) | Heavy jig + cut bait |
| Fall | 18 to 60 ft | night & dusk | Deep basin (60 ft) | Glow spoon + minnow head, Blade bait (slow) |
| Winter | 15 to 60 ft | night & dusk | Deep basin (60 ft) | Glow tungsten + cut bait, Rattle spoon + minnow head |
Sylvan Lake carries 14 mapped structure features, topping out (or rather bottoming out) at Deep basin, about 60 ft down.
Access data: OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) — community-mapped launches. Confirm conditions and fees locally before you launch.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Alberta waters are set by the Alberta fishing regulations — and special regulations can apply to Sylvan Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Alberta fishing regulations →
Sylvan Lake is about 60 ft (18 m) deep at its deepest point. The depth chart here comes from real state fisheries GPS surveys, so the contours reflect measured depths.
Anglers target walleye, yellow perch, northern pike, lake whitefish, burbot on Sylvan Lake.
Sharp break is the top-rated area: a drop-off in about 13 ft of water that rates prime for walleye in fall. Every other rated spot, per species and season, is on the map above.
For walleye, the summer bite is best in the evening and early morning. Each species page section below lists the seasonal windows, and the map shows a live NOW badge when you're inside one.
Fishing on Sylvan Lake is regulated by the Alberta fishing regulations. Check the official Alberta regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
Gull Lake 14 mi · Gleniffer Lake 23 mi · Chain Lakes 34 mi · Pine Lake 36 mi · Magee Lake 36 mi · Medicine Lake 36 mi · Cow Lake 37 mi · Mitchell Lake 37 mi · Strubel Lake 37 mi · Crimson Lake 38 mi · Gosling Lake 40 mi · Burnstick Lake 40 mi
See how Sylvan 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
More water nearby: Division No. 8 fishing maps (8 charts). Browse all Alberta fishing maps or see every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry credit: state fisheries survey programs. How we build these maps. Fish here with a sonar unit that logs? Send us your depth data and we'll improve this chart, credited to you. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.