Southern Reservoirs Lately?
 

Anyone been down to Newell or any of the southern reservoirs in the past week or so? Just wondering if everything is still WAY below normal levels or if they've started to rise again...? As our minds drift to ice season, I'm concerned that my favourite walleye spots are going to be useless this winter...

Nothing is going up until next spring. Here is hoping for huge dumps this winter and a good 3-4 day rain event in the spring.

I agree. My time for the season is done. It was a good last week at CVR.

This is going to mess up a lot of guys ice fishing seasons, a lot of areas where I normally setup for pike are probably going to be dry land. The other thing is not sure how it will impact the fish but cramming all the fish into maybe a third or less in some lakes) of what they normally have for space will that lead to better fishing or the predators being all full because there is food everywhere. Not sure I recall a season where the water levels are anywhere close to this low

Exactly, how anyone could expect water levels to rise this fall is beyond me ..as you say we need a huge snow dump and some return to normalcy regarding rainfall if levels are to rise ..I for one would be happy with even an average snowfall, but a big one would be perfect .

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According to the website Newell is 1/3 full, Travers is 30% full and McGregor is 76%. Looks like McGregor and CV are the only two that aren't drawn way down. We need an "atmospheric river" to fill the rest so hopefully this spring.

Keho is pretty much full.

It’s a little weird how several reservoirs aren’t on the website for levels, anyone have any idea about badger or Tilley b?

I heard from friend Badger was good 2 weeks ago.

Talked to a local I know down there and he told me they have them dropped to do some dam work. Once done Macgregor will then be drained to level the others out. Just what I was told so not sure on how good the info is.

I would think the Oldman dam will start to recover as the agricultural load eases as we move into fall and winter. Not sure the exact number but I also thought that at least half of the water in the Oldman drainage was spring fed so we arn't
relying on just precipitation. The Oldman dam will recover without precipitation until the springs/rivers run dry. That water in the dam is utilized in Alberta,Saskatchewan and Manitoba.

I’m pretty sure the pump house on Macgregor for the estates has a high water intake thus requiring a higher water level.

Was there yesterday and it is down a bit, still can launch but it is getting low by the launch.

Wind blew us off the water, waves coming over the bow and wind shield put a stop to the fishn in a hurry. Long drive for a roller coaster ride.

Not sure but read somewhere on here that they are going to fill the reservoirs somewhat after the irrigation for farming stops Oct 5. Too bad CVR is closed now.

For those that haven't been to Newell all season, your in for quite a shock. I'm sure Rainer Bay will be no go. Maybe 3 or4 feet of water by the island. And their still pumping it out. I've been going to Newell along time. I've never seen it that low.

I think you could probably walk across the entrance to Rainer bay.

Was at chainlakes res today. Easy to launch beside the second boat launch. I have a mid sized, heavy boat.
Fish were taking almost any fly i through at them.


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What do you mean by second launch? Is it the one closest to the out house? I always thought the drop off was too steep

They have two launch sites. One to the east of the outhouses and one to the west. Use the east side of the west one. Well worn spot. Tacoma didn’t spin or slip pulling out in two wheel drive. 17.5’ glass boat.


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To rephrase. Use the west launch. On the east side of it is a well worn path.


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Thanks that is what I used a few weeks back.

Because of the prolonged drought, need snow and a wet spring to start filling up the reservoirs for next year. See this recent article about the situation.

- https://www.msn.com/en-ca/news/canad...45a4a296&ei=33

Also interesting to note, is that the St. Mary's Irrigation District is the largest irrigation district in North America.

What you see is what you get without some unbelievable rain events and super snowpack we are in for reservoirs like we had in 2001 when forty mile was empty at the boat launch. Incredibly that spring there was 12 inches of rain in the snowpack area combined with warm weather refilled the reservoir that spring. Right now irrigation and reservoirs are in big trouble.

Yessir, we used it today. Wife aced the retrieve. Got 7 to the boat, 500 nibbles by the little twerps that would just keep bumping the hooks! :):)

man oh man... no clue where I'm going to go for quality walleyes this winter if the southern reservoirs are near empty. Man this province just sucks.

Hard not to comment on that statement so I'll just say try Sask. they also have nice walleye if you take the time to search them out.

f*** that province. Honestly, it's just long overdue time to move back to MB where the giant walleye are everywhere, and the number of different fish species is about 5x Alberta. But man... why can't this province have more quality trophy walleye lakes??? And manage them as such!? So brutal.

Don't let the door hit you in the behind on your way out.:)

No thanks. Give me a good pike and white fish fishery any day. You can't please everyone and Alberta doesn't have anywhere near the number of flishable lakes.

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All of Ontario for the lakes and variety of species. Too far to go from here for a weekend. LOL. Next year I will be searching the Muskie. Alberta probably the least amount of lakes. Maybe 3 hours north of Edm. might be good.

thats because you fish the lakes, I steal all the big walleye and let them go in the river so I can catch them :bad_boys_20: