The Lake · 50°59′48″N · 113°19′27″W

A prairie lake, told straight.

Eagle Lake is shallow, open and windy. Its bird numbers make it globally significant, and its walleye run big. It has no mountains and no turquoise water, and it has had algae advisories. Here's all of it.

Surface area: 11.8 km²About 2,990 acres
Average depth: ~2.6 mA shallow prairie lake
Maximum depth: ~4.9 m
Elevation: 923 m
Size: ~4.4 × 4 km
Outlet: South-eastOperated by the Western Irrigation District
Lake centre: 50°59′48″N113°19′27″W
51st parallel: Mid-lakeApproximate, to be survey-verified

A dramatic prairie sky and weather front over Eagle Lake. — Photo · prairie-sky-weather · 21:9A dramatic prairie sky or weather over the lake.

Birds · Important Bird & Biodiversity Area

Globally significant, every fall.

Eagle Lake is part of the Eagle–Namaka–Stobart lakes Important Bird & Biodiversity Area, rated globally significant for waterfowl and other birds that gather in large numbers.

15,061greater white-fronted geeseFall · historical peak count
1,500–4,000tundra swansFall
~40bald eaglesWintering in the area
4nesting species of noteFranklin's gulls, black and common terns, eared grebes

Source: Birds Canada IBA data for the Eagle–Namaka–Stobart lakes area; historical peak counts. We plan a winter count with a local birding group and will post the results.

Geese and tundra swans in flight over Eagle Lake in fall. — Photo · birds-fall-migration · 3:2Geese or tundra swans in flight over the lake, fall.

Fall · historical peak count

15,061

Greater white-fronted geese

1 stroke = 100 birds, every row

Greater white-fronted geese · fall · 15,061

150 strokes, plus 61 geese

Tundra swans · fall · 1,500–4,000

Solid to 1,500, dashed to 4,000: the count is a range

About 40 bald eagles winter in the area, fewer than one stroke at this scale, so they stay in words.

Bird counts drawn as a tally, 1 stroke for every 100 birds. Source: Birds Canada IBA data for the Eagle–Namaka–Stobart lakes area; historical peak counts.

Fishing · Zone PP1

Catch-and-release, and they run big.

Eagle Lake's walleye are the local legend, and every one goes back. Walleye and northern pike are catch-and-release here, with fish over 5 lb reported. The season runs May 8 to March 15, so it carries on through the ice.

Possession limits (unofficial summary)
Species	Limit
Walleye	0 · catch-and-release
Northern pike	0 · catch-and-release
Yellow perch	15
Burbot	10

A limit isn't a promise of numbers. Fines for keeping over the limit are enforced at Eagle Lake. Check the current Alberta Guide to Sport Fishing Regulations before you fish.

Ice-fishing shacks and an angler on frozen Eagle Lake in low winter light. — Photo · winter-ice-fishing · 4:3Ice-fishing shacks or an angler on the ice, winter light.

Wind & water

Windy afternoons. Calm mornings.

A shallow lake four kilometres across catches the wind. That makes it good for kites and wing sports on the blowy days. Paddlers go early, when the water is often flat.

Water levels can change. The Western Irrigation District manages the outlet and may use the lake as a reservoir, with drawdowns of about two feet at times. We'd rather you hear that here.

A kayak on calm water in the early morning on Eagle Lake. — Photo · calm-morning-paddle · 4:5Kayak or canoe on a calm early morning.

Close detail of shore grasses and reeds at the edge of the water. — Photo · shoreline-grasses-detail · 4:5Close detail: shore grasses, reeds, water texture.

True scale: Under 1 px deep
Stretched: Depth ×100
Average depth: ~2.6 m
Deepest: ~4.9 m
Across: ~4 km

Schematic. The bottom shape is illustrative; only the average and maximum depths are data.

After dark

The sky, measured before it's sold.

Strathmore's lights sit to the north-west and Calgary's glow sits on the western horizon. On clear nights the sky over the lake is still big. We're taking sky-quality meter readings on site, and we'll publish the real number here instead of an adjective.

The night sky over Eagle Lake from the site, in a single real exposure. — Photo · night-sky-over-lake · 16:9Milky Way or night sky over the lake from the site. Real exposure, no composites.

Sky-quality reading (SQM): pending · longest dark nights Oct–Feb

A year at 51°N

Four seasons, none of them idle.

Mar – MaySpring migration
May – OctCamping season (planned)
Sep – NovFall migration: geese and swans by the thousands
Oct – FebThe longest dark nights
~Dec – MarIce season
May 8 – Mar 15Fishing season, catch-and-release walleye and pike

These are the lake's seasons. The camping season, winter stays and storage at 51 North are separate questions: see where each one stands.

Lake conditions

Swimming status: being confirmed.

Past advisories: 2015 · 2017 · Aug 2024
Kids' water play: Splash pad (planned)
Live status: AHS advisories

Alberta Health Services has issued blue-green algae (cyanobacteria) advisories for Eagle Lake in 2015, 2017 and August 2024. We treat blooms as recurring. We won't describe this as a swimming lake until AHS and Wheatland County confirm what's allowed and safe.

When there's a bloom, AHS advises avoiding contact with the water where it's visible, keeping pets out of the water and away from it, and not feeding lake fish to pets. Boiling doesn't remove the toxins.

The planned splash pad at The Commons: water play for the kids that doesn't depend on the lake.

Check AHS blue-green algae advisories

Strathmore · about 30 minutes

Escape without isolation.

Strathmore is about 30 minutes away, estimated without traffic. It has a hospital, schools, grocery stores, a golf course and a recreation centre.

Town services on a Strathmore street. — Photo · strathmore-main-street · 3:2Strathmore's town services, to show escape without isolation.

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