Boating

There are lots of recreation opportunities on Alberta’s lakes, rivers and streams.

• If launching a boat, you are permitted to enter onto the bed and shore of a waterbody from provincial Crown land.
• Access points may be located on municipal, leased or privately owned land. Contact the landowner or leaseholder ahead of your trip to request permission to access the water, where required.
• Some waterbodies restrict motorized activities. Always follow the rules of the waterbody you are visiting (see Step 3 for details).
• Respect the shorelands and avoid launching and landing in soft or marshy areas.

Find opportunities for boating on:

• Alberta Parks: Activities
• Travel Alberta’s “Places to Go”: Lakes and Rivers or Paddling
• Paddling Maps
• Boating License Alberta’s Top Boating Spots in Alberta

• Check current conditions on rivers.alberta.ca or on the Alberta Rivers app (free to download from the App store or Google Play). Near-real-time data including river height and flow rate are available at Rivers & Lakes stations.
  • Learn to use Rivers.Alberta
  • Use the weekly and yearly graphs to compare current water levels to past averages.
  • Use the Water Management Data layer to check for low flow (water shortages) advisories
• Be prepared to be out longer than you anticipate during low flows.
• Know the skill and abilities of your group.
• Check the weather forecast for your trip.

• Ensure you have the appropriate safety and training requirements, such as a Pleasure Craft Operator Card for any power-driven boat.
• Boats used on any water body must conform with the Canada Shipping Act and regulations.
• Know and follow Transport Canada boating regulations and safety.
• Keep boat speeds under 10km/hour within 30 metres of the shoreline, and follow speed limits.
• Know and follow the directions provided by navigational and other special buoys.
• Obey all signs at boat launches and waterbodies. In Public Land Use Zones, motorized boats are only permitted in areas designated by posted signs.
• Some waterbodies may restrict the use of gas powered boats.
• Entering onto the bed and shore of a waterbody from vacant public land is permitted.
• All boats must:
  • Have a lifejacket or Personal Flotation Device (PFD) on board the watercraft for each person.
  • Have bailing equipment.
  • Have a sounding device.
  • Have lights for night navigation.
• In Alberta, laws have been put in place to ensure that watercraft use does not result in the transfer of aquatic invasive species:
  • Watercraft must be drained – All watercraft must have their drain plugs pulled while being transported on Alberta highways. Failure to pull the plug may result in a $600 fine.
  • Watercraft must be inspected – By law, watercraft users in Alberta must report in to watercraft inspection stations when highway signage indicates such stations are open. Bypassing an open inspection station while transporting a watercraft is a violation of the Fisheries (Alberta) Act and can result in a $4,200 fine.
  • Be sure that you are familiar with these laws and what your responsibilities and legal obligations are. See Clean, drain, dry your gear further details.
• Review information about docks, boat lifts and other structures.
• Pack out what you pack in! Take all garbage and waste with you to dispose of at home or at a waste transfer station.
• Leave all plants, fossils, rocks and artifacts where you found them.

As with other recreational activities, boating does impact the environment and other users. Impacts can include:

• transfer of aquatic invasive species and disease
• habitat destruction
• wildlife disruption
• loss of vegetation in the water and on the shore
• soil compaction, contamination and erosion
• water contamination

Manage your impact:

• Learn how you can Respect our Lakes.
• Watch your wake. Keep motorized water sports far from shore to prevent erosion and protect nests from being swamped.
• Keep music and boat noise to a minimum.
• Respect wildlife.
• Carry the proper tools to clean up an oil or gas spill if one occurs.
• Concentrate use in established areas and use established launch sites.
• Clean, drain, dry your boat and gear on the shoreline before moving to another waterbody to minimize the transfer of aquatic invasive species and diseases.

To get involved in the canoeing or whitewater paddling community, connect with Paddle Alberta or the Alberta Whitewater Association.