Heading to Hinton this weekend

[pabloamigo]

Me and a buddy are heading out towards Hinton area this weekend. Anyone have any suggestions on wheres a good spot to shore fish and camp? I like fishing for walleye but really just want lots of action. Are the rivers any better now? Is it worth going into the national park?

We have no solid plans just know the direction we are heading. Any suggestions would be awesome.

[smitty9]

Well, for walleye, you could try Fickle lake, and its been years since I've fished it. Have no idea how the walleye are doing.

If you're still oriented towards pike and whitefish, you could try William Switzer Park. I believe Gregg, Cache, and Graveyard have fish, with Gregg lake being your best bet for pike. Again, I'm going off 2nd hand information.

Guys on the forum also like Rock lake or Pierre Grey Lakes (there are 3). Rock has lake trout, pike, bull trout, whitefish, and I think the odd rainbow. Pierre Grey lakes, depending on which one, has rainbows or brookies.

Just outside of Hinton, there is Kinky (brookies) and Wildhorse (rainbows).

South of Hinton, there is Fairfax (rainbows, and the odd brookie) and Muskiki lake (brookies, but now cutts). Plus lots of recovered mining pits in that area too, stocked with trout, some I think will be managed as quality fisheries. Consult the regs for more info on the lakes such as stocking reports.

Now for the streams, which I have more experience. Almost every stream has some sort of combination of fish: brookies, rainbows (MUST release all of them in this area), whitefish, grayling, and bull trout. All the major rivers have fish; Mcleod, Embarrass, Berland etc. Any tributary that enters the Athabasca will have fish, as does the Athabasca of course. The Atha-B a big river, tough to fish, and Im sure its off color right now.

If you find fish in the smaller streams you'll catch them. Some of the bigger rivers involve alot of walking between holes.

Sadly, I find the area doesn`t fish as well as it did when I was a kid: between habitat loss-oil and gas roads going everywhere including the headwaters of creeks, plus non-compliance of anglers choosing not to follow the rules, and now add quads tearing their way through riparian areas, all of this means the area around Hinton doesn`t fish as well as it used to. So my advice is that if you want easy fishing, go to a stocked pond or be prepared to walk away from access points on flowing water. There are a few gems in the area, but I don`t name them on this forum. Maybe try one of those new fisheries (reclaimed mining pits).

All standard flies, dry and wet, work well. So do small spoons, panther martins, and mepps.

Please be aware of all the regs and phone in the jackarses who don`t follow them. This area needs some help.

Good Luck!
Smitty

[Speckle55]

Me and a buddy are heading out towards Hinton area this weekend. Anyone have any suggestions on wheres a good spot to shore fish and camp? I like fishing for walleye but really just want lots of action. Are the rivers any better now? Is it worth going into the national park?

We have no solid plans just know the direction we are heading. Any suggestions would be awesome.

hi pabloamigo .. what fish do you want to target then that will give us a idea where to send you..

I always say that the rivers around Hinton turn on mid July
there are also lakes that can be fished from shore

David:)

[pabloamigo]

Thanks for the help smitty!

We are fairly open to what to catch just want to have some action and a bit of a fight. Im nota huge fan of setting up a pickle rig and just waiting. We might head down towards Robb one of the days too.

[Speckle55]

Pabloamigo.. do you want to fish the river,s for RMWF/Grayling/Bulls/Rainbows?

i have notes on most rivers

or do you want a Lake and you are fishing from shore right?

do you Flyfish or spin cast?

:thinking-006:I am a avid angler in area ..just so you know check out my pic's on my profile on here just hit Speckle55 and look at my album.. if you give me a good idea what fish or fishes you want to target i can give you a idea where to go and what your sucess may be .. all those lakes and rivers smitty9 has listed i have fished

also i am the current fish chair for the Hinton Fish and Game Club here for over 20 years and have fish the area for over 50 years

i will help if i can so feeded me info:test:

David:)

[justinO]

Very Impressed with Smitty9 and Speckle55 way to help out this is what a forum is ment to be like. Cheers
I like Wildhorse lake for rainbows possibly big ones too. This was my favorite lake when I was younger havent been in a long time though, the scenery is incredible and campsite is awesome.

[pabloamigo]

That would be awesome speckle. I've only ever fished walleye and pikewhich I find fun but definitely open to different species. I went for trou once but did not enjoy throwing out a pickle rig and just waiting. We are going to use spin cast I've never tried fly yet. We will be shore fishing I don't think either of us have a hitch to bring out a boat. We might be able to brin out a boat if we get a hitch though.


Any insight would be much appreciated. Also if you know any decent campgrounds as well. We have been talking about the provincial park as well as some crown land south towards Robb. I drove through a few weeks back and most of the rivers looked pretty muddy. Have they cleared up yet?

[Speckle55]

here is some on posts i have done and what i pm you i will add to it..David
http://www.outdoorsmenforum.ca/showthread.php?t=140397&highlight=jasper+fishing

http://www.outdoorsmenforum.ca/showthread.php?t=141634

http://www.outdoorsmenforum.ca/showthread.php?t=141434

http://www.outdoorsmenforum.ca/showthread.php?t=140152

http://www.outdoorsmenforum.ca/showthread.php?t=133439

http://www.outdoorsmenforum.ca/showthread.php?t=131297

http://www.outdoorsmenforum.ca/showthread.php?t=122841

http://www.outdoorsmenforum.ca/showthread.php?t=114236

http://www.outdoorsmenforum.ca/showthread.php?t=120118

http://www.outdoorsmenforum.ca/showthread.php?t=140526

[pabloamigo]

Thanks for all your help David!!

We have now confirmed that we are going to be camping at Macleod River Provincial Park. My buddy has fished there before and said he did real well where the river forks. Any other advise in that area? We are willing to travel a bit as well. Maybe to Fickle or somewhere around Robb or even Obed.

[jrs]

Make sure you have some lakes in mind, with this rain i'm betting all the rivers will be blown out this weekend. Only way they'll clear up is if the forecasters are way off.

[Fishtracker]

Anyone have a current report for rivers & creeks in the area? Just wondering if the water levels and clarity are down to normal now?
Thanks!

[Speckle55]

In Jasper the Snaring is clear so most rivers are starting to clear out here and will get nothing but better in Aug..

this is the highest water in years and some low water lakes have come up which is good because they were really low.. the creek and rivers out here will be turning on as we speak if you know this area.. some great fishing to be had in this area in Aug as most avid anglers know ..

David:)

[curtis_rak]

David, have you been to Rock Lake in the last while or heard anything about the water level/clarity?

Might try it this weekend

[Fishtracker]

Thanks for the info!
Might be heading up there next week, so will keep fingers crossed....

[Speckle55]

David, have you been to Rock Lake in the last while or heard anything about the water level/clarity?

Might try it this weekend

Curtis ph 310-0000 then when prompted dial 780-865-8264 and ask for SRD Parks(Randy or other ) on clarity and road in ..i havn't talked to anyone lately

David :)

[Speckle55]

David, have you been to Rock Lake in the last while or heard anything about the water level/clarity?

Might try it this weekend

Here is your answer Road is closed at Munn Creek for washout check my post
water is coming down so should be cleaner now

http://www.outdoorsmenforum.ca/showthread.php?t=143103

David:)

[Fishtracker]

How's the stream levels lookin between Edson and Hinton? Will be up around that area starting this weekend and into next. Hoping to find some Grayling with the flyrod!! Any info would be great!