Calgary 
Alberta’s lakes aren’t only meant for summer visits. When the cold hits and waters freeze around the province, a whole new category of recreation opens in Alberta.
Photo Credit: Ghost Lake Ice Sailing Club
Alberta’s must-visit lakes include winter recreation on the ice, like snowshoeing, skating, or ice fishing. Plus, these areas are worth a visit for more snowshoe areas, hiking trails, groomed cross-country ski trails, winter camping, and wildlife viewing.
Ice Safety: Before heading out on a lake, be smart and aware of ice conditions and weather. Ice safety is paramount; even seemingly solid ice can be risky. Snowmobiling on frozen water bodies is particularly dangerous. Safety tips include checking ice thickness and wearing a lifejacket for added time. Know what to do if you break through the ice. Minimum recommended ice thickness varies: 4 inches for a single person, 5 inches for a snowmobile/ATV, 8-12 inches for a car, and 12-15 inches for a full-size pickup truck.
Ghost Lake Reservoir
Ghost Lake is at the edge of the foothills and Rocky Mountains, each of which provides beautiful scenery around the lake in any direction. The manmade lake is the result of damming on the Bow River, causing a narrow but long shape and a massive lake. The lake’s location and the area’s weather make it great for some unique sports, too.
Ice fishing is permitted on the Ghost Lake Reservoir, as is ice sailing and ice driving. An ice sailing club operates on Ghost Lake, and you’ll be able to see them gliding across the ice on cold winter days.
Sylvan Lake
Sylvan Lake provides all the winter adventure a couple, group, or family could want, all along Lakeshore Drive. That east side of the lake, near the beach, is where the town maintains a natural skating surface. The areas are divided for recreational skating and hockey or shinney. The rink is fully illuminated for nighttime skating, too! Your Sylvan Lake adventure can continue with ice fishing, and overnight shack rentals from SunSport. Or it can continue along Lakeshore Drive with local dining and cozy hot drinks.
Gap Lake
Gap Lake near Canmore, and in the Bow Valley Provincial Park, provides all the wild mountain scenery to make you feel as though you are far out in the wilderness. The lake is, however, conveniently located between Highways 1 and 1A. It is a favourite for many wild ice skating enthusiasts and provides huge, wide-open, and smooth surfaces. There is also a day use area on the north shore with lakeside picnic areas.
Gap Lake is only a 5-minute drive from the short Grotto Canyon Hike which offers even more gorgeous winter scenery to uncover.
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Pigeon Lake
Thanks to the work of a handful of local volunteers, Pigeon Lake now boasts an 8km skating path along the Grandview and Poplar Bay area shores. This is an incredible feat, considering most ice and skateways in Alberta are closer to 2km long.
Enjoy the true thrill of natural skating along the vast ice of Pigeon Lake. These same volunteers have added benches, tables, and firepits to assist with lacing up, or picnics. To the west of the Pigeon Lake Skateway is the Provincial Park with more picnic areas, cross-country ski trails, snowshoe areas, and ice fishing spots.
Crimson Lake
Crimson Lake and the Provincial Park certainly cater to the winter crowd. They offer lakeside skating, and an outdoor curling rink, and trails which loop around the lake that are open to skiing, snowshoeing, and hiking.
A separate set of trails for cross-country skiing only goes into the trees east of the lake. And at the start to the trails, also near the skating and parking, are many places for a cozy fire and picnic. Plus, the Provincial Park has winter camping, and permit ice fishing on Crimson Lake.
Lake Louise
One of the best ways to enjoy Lake Louise in the winter is on ice skates. The Chateau staff clear the skating area daily and offer ice skate rentals. With the Chateau beside the lake, there are many opportunities for a warm drink or more activities.
The Chateau now offers guided snowshoe tours around Lake Louise, with day and nighttime tours available, as well as rentals for your own adventure. Rather ski? The Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise offers cross-country rentals, too, with tons of trails near the lake.
Lake Louise also hosts the annual Ice Magic Festival, an ice carving competition where talented ice artists from across the world create intricate creations.
Even making the drive or trip to simply see Lake Louise is worth every minute!
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Abraham Lake
The vast Abraham Lake near Nordegg is easily enjoyed when simply driving by on the highway. The seemingly never-ending lake is a man-made reservoir but offers visitors a unique sight-seeing opportunity. The ice bubbles of Abraham Lake are bubbles of methane gas that were trapped during the freezing process.
It creates a beautiful landscape to explore on sturdy shoes or skates. The wind often clears the ice of snow for you, but as this is a large and deep lake, extreme caution is advised for on the lake ice skating. Nordegg Adventures are a local tour company who safely guide visitors around and on the lake.
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Johnson Lake
All of the lakes along Lake Minnewanka Road are open to lake ice skating. Of those, Johnson may be the best option given its smaller size. The road ends on the west shores of the lake, where there is ample space for picnics, lacing up, and taking in the gorgeous scenery. Johnson Lake is surrounded by peaks and forests. Don’t hesitate to visit the other lakes here, too, and check ice conditions on each! The area is home to Vermillion Lake, Lake Minnewanka, Two Jack Lake, and Cascade Pond.
Gull Lake
Gull Lake in Central Alberta is one of the province’s premier ice fishing lakes. This is for a few reasons. First, Gull Lake is large, allowing for plenty of groups to go out at once. Second, there are a handful of rental companies who offer ice fishing shacks and gear for Gull Lake. And while Gull does not permit skating, the Aspen Beach Provincial Park Day Use Area does have a maintained skating rink. Also available in the park are cross-country ski, hike, and snowshoe trails.
Pyramid Lake
Take a moment, before all the Pyramid Lake winter activities, to relax on the National Park Red Chairs, which are in a perfect spot for getting a good view of the lake. Next, head to the Pyramid Lake Lodge for access to plenty of winter fun on and off the ice.
The Lodge offers rentals for all those activities, too, which include skating on the lake, snowshoeing, and fat biking. Cross-country ski trails are also located around the lake, as are sleigh rides on weekends until February 28!
Upper & Lower Kananaskis Lakes
These beautiful Alberta lakes are in Peter Lougheed Provincial Park and, of course, Kananaskis Country. Views of and access to the lakes are available via a few different day use areas: Canyon, Upper Lake, North Interlakes, and Panorama.
From these areas, there are trailheads for cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, hiking, and fat biking. For fun on the lake, enjoy a day or two of ice fishing on either of the two lakes.
Spray Lakes Reservoir
The Spray Lakes Reservoir and Spray Valley Provincial Park are a favourite spot for ice-fishing enthusiasts thanks to the area’s beauty, the abundance of fish in the reservoir, and the additional winter activities available in the area, including winter camping.
Beyond ice fishing, the Spray Lakes Reservoir can easily be appreciated via a ski trip, a snowshoe adventure, hiking the trails, or even a dog sled tour!
Mad Dogs & Englishmen Expeditions
Moonshine Lake
This northwestern Alberta Park is located deep in the boreal forest and offers many reasons to visit each winter. Enjoy the lake from the 14km of cross-country ski trails or take to the frozen surface with a pair of skates.
The winter day-use area has places to build a big fire and a day-use shelter with a cook stove. This lake is also open to ice fishing adventures.
Lac La Biche
To visit Lac La Biche in the winter, spend a day at Sir Winston Churchill Provincial Park. Or you could spend a night or two with the park’s winter comfort camping cabins. This is perfect for any winter adventurers who want to snowshoe or ski across the lake or use the lake for ice fishing. And this is the perfect lake for anyone with the need for speed!
Each February, the lake is home to the Lac La Biche Winter Festival of Speed. The winter trails are also beautiful around the lake and may reveal an abundance of winter wildlife.
Astotin Lake
Skating at Elk Island National Park.
Elk Island National Park, 30-minutes east of Edmonton, is a large conservation area with wetlands, ponds, and a few larger lakes. All around the park are trails for exploring via snowshoes, winter hikes, cross-country skis, or fat bikes. The park’s north area and Astotin Lake is where you’ll find most of the winter fun and action, as well the heads to many trails. The lakeshore area has ample parking, the Visitor’s Centre, and dozens of picnic areas, a few shelters, and firepits.
In addition to all the ways to explore around Astotin Lake this winter, you can also enjoy ice skating on the lake. No matter how you explore Astotin Lake and Elk Island this winter, keep your eyes open for the diverse wildlife and bird population, or the starry night skies.
