Experience the Best Scenic Fishing Spots in Jasper National Park

Crystal-clear water, inspiring mountain vistas and fish that are eager to snap at your line – this is what angling in Jasper National Park is all about.
The fresh environment and abundance of wildlife create a uniquely pristine place to fish. While many lakes here see plenty of traffic, you can still find fantastic little-known fishing holes in this park.
Jasper National Park is prime trout-fishing territory

You can hook rainbows, brook trout, lake trout and more in these stunning lakes. However, there are plenty of other species to target as well.
Talbot Lake offers incredible pike fishing while Pyramid Lake is among the many spots where you can go after Rocky Mountain whitefish. Meanwhile, the scenery is even more diverse.
Check out our list of fantastic Jasper fishing spots below:
 

Maligne Lake

Tourism Jasper Photo

The biggest body of water in the Canadian Rockies, Maligne Lake is a shimmering beauty surrounded by snow-capped mountains and forests of pine and spruce.
For anglers, the best part of this lake is the trout. Stocked with both rainbows and brookies, Maligne Lake offers a chance to hook some decent-sized fish. Expect to reel in trout with an average weight of 2 to 5 pounds.
Fish here are eager to bite on a well-placed fly but you can also find plenty of success by trolling in a boat. Keep in mind that this is an alpine lake that can remain partially frozen into June, which presents obvious challenges for boaters. The lake is usually calm until about 9 a.m., so it’s always best to get an early start. Later in the day, wind funnelled by the mountains can quickly become intense.
Directions
From the town of Jasper, travel north on Highway 16 and then turn right on Maligne Road. After about six kilometres, take the Maligne Canyon turnoff. Follow this road past Medicine Lake until you reach Maligne.
Details

• Open May 21st to October 2nd
• Lake sits at 1,670 metres above sea level, so it’s sometimes frozen until June
• The lake is 22.5 kilometres long with its deepest point at 97 metres

Medicine Lake

Parks Canada Photo

Medicine Lake is filled with melted glacier water, so it changes dramatically each season. In the fall, the lake is reduced to a mere trickle; in the summer, glacier water pushes through the Maligne Canyon and practically overflows the basin. Scientists still aren’t 100% sure where the water disappears to, but it likely streams into a network of underground caverns.
The fishing here is less of a mystery: both rainbow and brook trout populate these waters. Note that only fly fishing is permitted here.
Anglers can try their luck during the spring and fall, when the streams running away from the lake bed are at their lowest. But the summer offers good fishing opportunities as well as a day spent in the beautiful surroundings.
Directions
From the town of Jasper, travel north on Highway 16 and then turn right on Maligne Road. After about six kilometres, take the Maligne Canyon turnoff. Follow this road until you reach Medicine Lake.
Details

• The size of the lake varies by the season, but its maximum length is about 7 kilometres
• Only fly fishing is permitted
• Open from July 1st to October 31st

Horseshoe Lake

Parks Canada Photo

Horseshoe Lake is a stunning turquoise-coloured lake that’s crystal clear and framed by rock bluffs. What’s really neat about this spot is that the water is so clean that you can actually see the fish – primarily rainbow trout – swimming in and out of the underwater ledges.
There’s a small boat launch at the lake and fly fishermen with belly boats have been known to frequent these waters. Horseshoe Lake isn’t on the typical traveller’s radar, so expect a quieter, more tranquil vibe while fishing here. There is a good chance that you’ll run into some local anglers, who just might be kind enough to give you a few tips on where to fish.
This lake is also a great swimming spot. Although the water is usually quite cold, you can easily cool off while taking a break from casting.
Directions
Drive down the Icefields Parkway highway south of the town of Jasper for about 25 kilometres. There’s a parking lot located on the east side of the highway that’s next to Horseshoe Lake. After you’ve parked, you’ll find a trail that leads to the southern end of the lake.
Details

• Open from May 15th to March 31st
• People also come here for cliff-diving and swimming

Talbot Lake

Explore Jasper Photo

If you’re looking to battle a pike, Talbot Lake is probably your best bet in Jasper National Park.
While most lakes in the area offer spectacular trout fishing, good pike fishing is much harder to come by. So hop in a boat and paddle onto this somewhat shallow, mud-bottomed lake and head to the weed beds and cattails along the banks – this is where the big fish take cover from predators. The average size here is 2-6 pounds, although the record fish is reportedly a scale-busting 26 pounds. You can also catch big whitefish here as well, but they’re far more difficult to hook.
The scenery at Talbot Lake is also stunning. Set along Highway 16, the emerald coloured-water here is separated from Jasper Lake by a series of sand dunes.
Directions
Located right off Highway 16, head east from the Town of Jasper for about 29 kilometres. Talbot is on your right and Jasper Lake is on your left.
Details

• Open from May 21st to October 2nd
• Because of the easy access off the highway, this lake can get busy during the summer
• Expect to endure quite a bit of wind in this area

Pyramid Lake

Brian Van Tighem Photo

A popular lake located just a short drive from town, Pyramid Lake is a great spot for fishing.
Because this lake is so easily accessible, it gets a lot of traffic from other anglers. As a result, some veteran anglers say that the fish tend to be a little more wary of biting. But Pyramid does offer nice variety, from rainbows to lake trout and whitefish. In fact, one of the biggest white suckers ever caught in Alberta was pulled out of Pyramid Lake.
As the weather warms up in the summer (around late June or early July), the fish here tend to retreat into the deeper parts of the lake – so you may want to adjust your strategy accordingly.
Even if the fish aren’t biting, you can soak up magnificent views of Pyramid Mountain while watching for elk, moose and deer along the shore.
Details

• Open from May 21st to September 5th
• The lake is 2.7 kilometres long
• There is a public boat launch and picnic areas on the lake

 
Note the different regulations when fishing in a National Park

You must hold a National Parks fishing license (provincial licenses are not valid here) and must follow different rules on the use of bait and catch limits. Before planning your fishing trip to Jasper, be sure to check out the full regulations on the Parks Canada website.
 

PLANNING A TRIP TO JASPER?

We have a variety of accommodations in Jasper with advantageous locations in the national park. Call our highly knowledgeable Destination Experts at 1.877.902.1616, and they can answer any questions you may have about water activities in Jasper, or our fabulous selection of vacation rentals. They’re available 7 days a week!