Its a Jackson Kind of time!!

What better place to paddle your Jackson Kayak then on Jackson Lake here in northern Alberta within the Lakeland Provincial Park.

In the dead of this past summer on a whim the night before, I called my good buddy Curtis J.  to see if he was up for an adventure!!

The next day after work, we loaded up his truck with two yaks, two rather large dogs, and all our gear for the weekend, and headed north.  We arrived late in the evening at Lakeland Provincial Park and slept on the shores of Kinard  lake before heading down the  3km portage to Jackson lake.

We started nailing small pike as soon as we hit the water heading towards our base camp for the days ahead.

After some heavy winds and whitecaps in the lake we made camp and headed back out in the chop to try our luck for some walleye. Nothing super sized this trip but the pike and walleye wear hitting  very well on a small drop not to far from camp using a jig and minnow. 
Then the really bad weather hit, I swear the same storm circled over three times leaving most everything drenched.  Thank goodness for my solid tarping skills and my CoosaFd seat which kept my butt dry while doubling as a lawn chair as lightning cracked and hail fell overhead.

The second day was basically a repeat but in reverse. thank goodness for less rain, but  don’t fret the big winds made up for it!

The whole weekend was a mix of walleye, storms, pike,  whitecaps, walleye, and more storms. The dogs made good company, the fish were biting, and I was deep in the woods with no traffic or light pollution. It was a grand experience regardless of the weather that would definitely recommend anyone else try if your up this way.

Three, four and longer day trips can be had within Lakeland, portaging between lakes for more exciting overnight tripping and fishing opportunities!!
Dont forget to check the weather network!

– Andrew Watt