Minnewanka species

[jwelds191]

Hello all!

Just a quick question on Minnewanka...

I've heard rumours of brookies in the farthest arm of the lake, where it turns into 2 or 3 smaller lakes where Ghost comes in. Maybe even some bows too? I know there is a lot of inflow into Minnewanka, (and they have stocked nearly every species at one time or another) It seems plausible some very cold water fish could thrive in there if they don't become bait for the bigger lakers...

Just a thought. I love that lake. SO fun to fish

[Habfan]

I met a an older gent that told me he targets the splake ! I've never caught one in that lake but many in others, and asked him what they looked like and he was bang on with the description !

[dodger]

Back in the late 70's I caught a pike there. Fish & Game did not believe us and they were a little ticked we released it.

Dodger.

[The-Legend]

Caught a monster bull trout off the dock about 15 yrs ago.. Will post a pik if I can find it

[jwelds191]

Do you suppose the pike found it's way in, or was lingering from being stocked in there? I've heard there's still bull trout in pretty decent numbers in that lake.

I think it'd be really cool to latch onto a brookie or rainbow in that lake. I think I'm planning an overnight trip to the verrrrrryyyy end of the lake. I want to thoroughly fish the little pothole lakes and see what's in there.

[Safety D]

The lakes been dead the last 2 times I was there...

[Lornce]

I've caught Laker's, Whitefish, and the odd Brookie.

[EZM]

Growing up in Calgary, I fished that lake almost every weekend.

There are definitely Brookies, Rainbows, Bulls and Splake in there. The Brookies we found, most often, at the gap in shallower water.

Caught a few rainbows near the marina in the first bay.

[EZM]

http://books.google.ca/books?id=zSucroWOresC&pg=PA294&lpg=PA294&dq=splake+minnewanka&source=bl&ots=DuPl5mQsdb&sig=q8TMGLzf_nfTGV5f9yPw8tFzzZc&hl=en&sa=X&ei=xA4NVLEq5NyKAov2gbAF&ved=0CEUQ6AEwAg#v=onepage&q=splake%20minnewanka&f=false

Splake - Minnewanka - just found this after responding to a PM on the same subject.

http://www.fwresearch.ca/Library_files/ccre.pdf

Last sentence - page 32 ..... splake are naturally re-occuring in Minnewanka.

[TROLLER]

I ran into two young fellas who hike up the river with their fly rods and have been catching cut throat.

Did not really believe it till I saw them land one just above the bridge that crossed over just past the private boat launch.

All I ever caught and all I ever target are the lakers so cannot speak to the idea of splake or pike. But have my doubts.

[Habfan]

I ran into two young fellas who hike up the river with their fly rods and have been catching cut throat.

Did not really believe it till I saw them land one just above the bridge that crossed over just past the private boat launch.

All I ever caught and all I ever target are the lakers so cannot speak to the idea of splake or pike. But have my doubts.

Why would you doubt people's reports ?

[EZM]

I ran into two young fellas who hike up the river with their fly rods and have been catching cut throat.

Did not really believe it till I saw them land one just above the bridge that crossed over just past the private boat launch.

All I ever caught and all I ever target are the lakers so cannot speak to the idea of splake or pike. But have my doubts.

There is no point in doubting any species in minnewanka. unfortunately, in the early part of the last century they experimented on that lake by dumping all sorts of fish in there. Atlantic Salmon, Kokanee, Dolly Varden etc.....

Other species, like Cutthroats are native to the bow river drainage, and the upper most reaches, certainly may hold some. I would think it would be very plausible to find them in Minnewanka, however rare their occurrence may be.

I have definitely caught bulls, rainbows, splakes in Minnewanka. Again, I grew up fishing that lake and have not fished it in many years, but there are many more species in there that most people are not aware of ..... such as CISCOE ..... which were introduced over 50 years ago from the great lakes that still thrive in there. Most of the other experiments have failed, but this one stuck.

I bet people catch Ciscoe all the time and think they are mountain whites ....

I bet many people catch what they think are "smaller lakers" and they are splake. The Splake in there are quite grey/silver compared to splake from Ontario.

[Deer]

Doesn't it have red trout as well that were stocked in the 90s?