Picklejar Lakes Fishing

Picklejar Lakes are 4 beautiful small lakes located off Highway 40 in Kananaskis Country. You will need to hike to get to the lakes.

There is a rumor that these lakes are called Picklejar because of how easy it is to catch fish there (like getting pickles from a jar).

Picklejar Lakes Directions

The trailhead to Picklejar Lakes starts across the road (Highway 40) from Lantern Creek day-use area located 130 km from Calgary. One way hike is about 6 km long with 620 m of elevation gain.

This section of Highway 40 is closed from December till the middle of June.

Hiking Picklejar Lakes

Picklejar Lakes Fishing Tips

This is a pretty popular hiking spot and if you want to avoid the crowds try to arrive early and go fishing on the weekdays. However, the number of fishermen is usually low because most people are just hiking.

There are a lot of black flies around the Picklejar Lakes so bring your bug spray. There is also a lot of bear activity in the area.

The most common fish at Picklejar Lakes is the native Cutthroat Trout. The first and third lakes have the most fish and you can usually see it from the shore. Nymphs and small spinners usually work pretty well in these lakes.

Most of the fish are pretty small in size (7″-11″) due to lack of food in these cold alpine lakes.