ZONE 3 Northern Boreal - NB1

The Northern Boreal consists of a vast area of central and northern Alberta consists of boreal forest. Throughout the boreal forest, many of the streams are low gradient, brown water streams which in turn are part of the major drainage basins of the Athabasca, Peace and Hay rivers. The majority of the lakes in Alberta occur in the boreal forest zone.

The four Northern Boreal Watershed Units (NB1-NB4) are made of the Beaver, Athabasca, La Biche, Lesser Slave, Pembina, Peace, Wabasca, Hay, Christina, Clearwater rivers and Lake Athabasca watersheds.


NB1 WATERSHED UNIT REGULATIONS

The Beaver River watershed and the Athabasca River watershed between the north boundary of Township 78 (near Pelican River) and Sec. Rd. 813 (near the town of Athabasca), including the Calling River watershed, and the La Biche River watershed (NOTE: the tributary watersheds, including several lakes in the “Lakeland District,” entering on the left downstream bank [north bank] of the North Saskatchewan River downstream of Highway 38 near Redwater are also part of NB1).

BAIT FISHING
● Fishing with Bait, including Bait Fish in NB1 lakes and streams is allowed except at locations listed with Bait Bans under site specific regulations.
 
Mainstem of a river: includes the mainstem channel and any side channel, oxbows, riparian flow channels, and plunge pools below spillways. 

NB1 LAKE AND STREAM LISTINGS

For waterbody specific regulations, click the links below.

NB1 - Lakes, Reservoirs and Ponds
NB1 - Rivers, Creeks and Streams
 

NB1 Default Sportfishing Regulations
● The names of most NB1 lakes and streams are listed alphabetically in the site specific regulation tables on the following pages.
● Smaller streams may not be listed, but may be included as tributaries to a listed larger stream.
● If a listed waterbody does not have a season listed, it is CLOSED to fishing during that period.
● If a NB1 lake, reservoir, river, stream or species is not listed, follow the default regulations below.
● General regulation stocked trout lakes are listed here

DEFAULT REGULATIONS FOR LAKES

OPEN May 15 to Mar. 31
Arctic Grayling limit 0
● Walleye limit 3 over 50 cm
● Northern Pike limit 3 over 63 cm
● Yellow Perch limit 15
● Lake Whitefish limit 10
● Burbot limit 10
● Trout limit 3
Bait allowed 

CLOSED Apr. 1 to May 14 

DEFAULT REGULATIONS FOR STREAMS

OPEN Jun. 1 to Oct. 31
Arctic Grayling limit 0
● Walleye limit 3 over 50 cm
● Northern Pike limit 3 over 63 cm
● Mountain Whitefish limit 5 over 30 cm
● Yellow Perch limit 15
● Lake Whitefish limit 10
● Burbot limit 10
Bait allowed 

CLOSED Nov. 1 to May 31