Milk River Fishing w/ the kids - Suggestions?

[Kawibunga]

So we're heading down to Writing on Stone PP for the weekend for some camping. Never been down that way but thought we'd drop a line in the river someplace with the 3 kids. Any suggestions? Thought we'd just try some go-to Len Thompson's and since bait is allowed some jigs. No idea where though so we'll just find a spot on the river that looks to be an easy spot to fish from.....

Thanks

[Kawibunga]

Bueller?? Bueller??.........

[pikergolf]

I suggest you keep your kids out of the water. There is a yearly health warning for fecal contamination in the river, we are fast approaching the time for it to be issued. here is last years warning.

http://www.albertahealthservices.ca/assets/news/advisories/ne-pha-2015-07-23-contaminated-water-milk-river.pdf

[Kawibunga]

Thanks for the heads up...... and won't be eating any fish now :)

[Pikeface]

I fished there when I was little, and never caught anything. You can try for sauger so long as its the right time of year and the water isn't too silty.

[Kawibunga]

Well the results are in. Lost 3 new hooks the kids picked up in Lethbridge on the way through, wife snapped an old rod of mine while trying to get un snagged and not a single bite. But we did see some fish surfacing late in the evening, no idea if they were white fish or walleye but fish anyway. A good weekend as it beats sitting in city and it's a cool park for those that have never been down that way.....

[Bemoredog]

It's an interesting watershed as it goes south into the US, then north to Canada again, and finally back down south. The fishing in the Canadian portions are not really known to be very good. I don't know the reasons. But in the Montana portions there are apparently smallmouth bass.

I know this is late info for you, so sorry... but back in 2000 the government did a survey and mainly found baitfish in their samples. Sportfish included burbot, sauger and whitefish. However, of the 3,200+ fish caught, this included only 1 whitefish, 4 burbot and 19 sauger. So really not a great fishery at all.

[TheHotChili]

Not to mention the best Hoodoos you will find in the province...And everyone talks about the Hoodoos in Drumheller...

[Marty S]

Next time you go there, you better sharpen some sticks and take the wife and kids out rattlesnake hunting instead of fishing. You'll probably have better luck!

Oh ya... Don't forget, it's all catch and release on rattlers and probably barbless sticks only!

[Kawibunga]

We had a young curious retriever cross with us. Figured we'd try to avoid the rattle snakes as she would have been on them like now, which would have went bad :) would have been cool to see one though. Only heard one in the grass up at the interpretive centre. And ya, will stick to camping and looking for snakes next time.

[wildbill]

Not to mention the best Hoodoos you will find in the province...And everyone talks about the Hoodoos in Drumheller...

Yes they are the best ones in Alberta very fun to hike in and on, never bothered fishin, did shrooms there one time, wow, never doin that again!

[Red Bullets]

Since the fishing was no good you could have looked around for painted turtles. The Milk is the only water in Alberta that has turtles. Not sure how common.