do fish on nsr migrate?

[waterninja]

couple days ago i posted that the burbot and suckers have returned to the edm. area. i few replies suggested that they were always here. do some species simply stop eating in the wintertime or do they actually head out somewhere? seems strange that if their here all the time that they don't bite even though the river is open. iv'e fished the nsr regularrly since dec. and only now am i catching suckers and burbot and (or heard of others catching) and still haven't seen or heard of a goldeye being caught. i know that some species probably slow down in the winter months but i can't believe they don't eat anything for 4-6 months.

[huntsfurfish]

Location, location, location.

[huntsfurfish]

Wintering holes.

[Fishnafterwork]

Yes... Deffinately yes.... The fish in all river systems migrate a certain distance ... The fish always feed but like mentioned before its where are they... Every wintering hole will have fish holding in it... But spawn plays a huge role in migration... As does water temp, and forage... Goldeye travel huge distances in our river systems to spawn and although they are always to be found in the river their bulk population can be tracked almost like clock work up and down the river through the year... Sturgeon as well will migrate up and down the river as they head up stream in spring for spawn and back down to their homes ( wintering holes) in the fall...& that's the key is they head back to their homes and not all of one species calls a specific hole home... So if u are fishing a hole theyre likely in there it's just how many and what size... As far as trout go I read a report that stated although they do travel great distances to spawn 90% of their life can be pinpointed to about a 300 yard stretch (home)..:)

[AppleJax]

They seemed to have migrated to my bait the last couple times I went fishing!:bad_boys_20:

[Red Bullets]

I believe the goldeye migrate as far down river as Nipiwan in Saskatchewan province, which is where the dams are on the river.

This is quoted from the book Fishes of Alberta , One contributing zoologists name was Munson.

Munson's hypthesis said
" Tobin Reservoir where Goldeye may reside before moving upstream."

"Lengthy river migrations occur (Donald & Kooyman 1977b; Munson 1978). For example Munson observed downstream movement
in one individual of up to 2000 km. in 15 days."

Dr. Wayne Roberts in the past has given lectures/talks on the fish of the NS river in Edmonton. He is a zoologist at the U of A.

There are 27 species in the river. The most diverse fish population in the province.

My personal oddest fish caught was a 3 lb. 'quillback'. One in 45 years and hundreds of hours of fishing the river.