Should Alberta Change Its Sportfishing Rules for 2022-23?

Official title: 2022-23 Sportfishing regulations engagement

Closed Regulations & Permits Environment & Climate Natural Resources

Alberta asked anglers for input on fishing regulations across the province. Topics included walleye stocking, harvest limits, and new rules to protect fish during hot, low-water periods. The consultation ran in January 2022 and results are now in effect.

Why This Matters

Fish in Alberta? These rules affect where you can cast a line and what you can keep. New time-of-day restrictions in southwestern Alberta could change your summer fishing plans. If you care about healthy fish populations for future generations, this matters.

What Could Change

New regulations took effect April 1, 2022. Time-of-day fishing restrictions now apply in southwestern Alberta during low flows and high temperatures. Walleye and pike rules changed at several lakes including Lesser Slave Lake. Bait bans expanded on parts of the Clearwater and North Saskatchewan rivers.

Key Issues

Should time-of-day fishing restrictions be used to protect fish during low flows and high temperatures?
What walleye and pike regulations should apply at specific Alberta lakes?
Should bait bans be expanded on certain rivers?
How should harvest slot limits and special harvest licence tags be implemented?

How to Participate

This consultation is now closed. You can review the What We Heard Report to see how feedback shaped the regulations.
Read the Regulation Changes Summary to see what changed.
Visit the fisheries engagements page for future opportunities to provide input.

What Happened

Albertans participated from January 10 to February 7, 2022 by completing an online survey, asking questions, viewing an interactive waterbody map, and attending webinars. Feedback was incorporated into the 2022 Sportfishing Regulations, which took effect April 1, 2022. Key changes included new time-of-day angling restrictions in southwestern Alberta during low flows and high temperatures, regulation changes for walleye and pike at multiple lakes, and expanded bait bans on sections of the Clearwater and North Saskatchewan rivers.