Lake McGregor is a man-made reservoir located about an hour southeast of Calgary near the small town of Milo in Vulcan County. This is a popular Lake to fish both in the summer and the winter time. There is camping available nearby. Best known as a pike and walleye fishing hole. It is also home to several other species of fish.
What Kind of Fish are in Lake McGregor ?
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Walleye
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Pike
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Burbot
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Lake Whitefish
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Rainbow trout
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Yellow perch
Walleye
Walleye are one of the more common fish in Lake McGregor. Fish around the 2 lb mark are most common. There are pictures on fishbrain of a walleye up to 30 in from this Lake. Pickerel rigs are a favorite here since bait is allowed, either baited with a smelt or minnow. Another popular Technique is jigging either in open water or during ice fishing season. And of course the old standby trolling. Not sure what kind of walleye fishing rod works best for each technique? Check out my article on selecting the best all around walleye rod.
Northern Pike
Pike in McGregor Reservoir can reach a respectable size up to around the 10 lb mark. As is typical with Pike just about anything will work. They’ll take smelt on a jig, spoons, crankbait whatever.
Burbot
Burbot are also present in the reservoir. As is typical with burbot they favor cooler deep water normally only heading toward shallower water during the winter months for the ice fishing season. There is a retention limit for burbot on Lake McGregor.
Lake Whitefish
There are Lake Whitefish in McGregor. Although their populations don’t seem to be as good as they used to be. There is still a decent retention limit here. One of the more common tactics is a wire worm with a couple of spikes (maggots).
Perch and Rainbow Trout
Both perch and rainbow trout are supposed to be present in the lake. Perch having been introduced a number of years ago. They are still listed with a decent retention limit. as with perch in most lakes they are not targeted very often, so there is not a lot of information on them. As for rainbow trout this lake is partially fed from the Bow River in the irrigation system. As you know the Bow River has plenty of rainbow trout present.
Lake McGregor Fishing Regulations
Lake McGregor is closed from March 16th to May 7th. Apart from that it is open the rest of the fishing season for both open and hard water. Make sure you know that between May 8th and November 30th fishing is only allowed between sunrise and sunset. During the ice fishing season there are no daylight restrictions.
Below are the 2020 retention limits for McGregor Reservoir.
- Bait is allowed
- There are no special draw walleye tags available for Lake McGregor at this time.
- Northern pike and walleye are both Catch and Release only here.
- Burbot have a keep limit of 10
- Lake Whitefish limit to 10
- Yellow perch limit of 15.
Please make sure you check the official Alberta fish and wildlife regulations before heading out in case this page has not been updated. You can get an electronic version of the Alberta fishing regulations in PDF format here.
Fishing Spots
The vast majority of the fishing spots on Lake McGregor are going to be reached by a boat. The North End of the lake seems to be more popular for fishing this could just be because the boat launch at the Provincial Park is located right there feel free to explore.
If you were looking for a shore fishing spot, the dam at the north or the provincial park are your best bets as there is limited public access. During ice fishing season, of course the world’s your oyster. There is much better opportunity for exploration without a boat then .
Lake Size and Depth
Lake McGregor is a very elongated shaped lake. Average depth of 6 or 21( about 2 to 6 m) feet and a maximum depth of 30 feet 10 meters). total surface area is approximately 50 square kilometres (source).
For the Puritans who want to know the exact contours and features of the lake there is a bathymetric map available at Alberta.ca. This should give you a good resource for finding shelf’s and drop offs to target fish.
Provincial Park Day Use Area and Camp Site
At the north end of the lake there is a provincial park that has approximately 100 camping sites. For both RVs and for tenting. Although these sites are unserviced there is a hand pump for water. This is not potable so it cannot be used for brushing your teeth, cooking etc. It Is advised you bring your own water for these purposes.
There is a boat launch available at the site. Other amenities include pit toilets, fire pits and a playground for the kids. As of 2020 this is a very inexpensive place to camp for your fishing trip at $20 a night. If you’re looking to go for a long weekend I would call and reserve a spot as Lakeside provincial camping sites fill up quickly. You can get more information at the Alberta parks website
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Nearby is the small town of Milo with a grocery store and some other amenities. Just in case you forgot your bug spray or sunscreen.
Conclusion
It is a great lake for a day trip from Calgary, about the same distance as Crawling Valley Reservoir. With a good selection of different fish species and the option to catch something for dinner !
