Have a question for those of you that have more experience on the Raven River than I have. I fished the Raven just south of Caroline last weekend and was shocked at how low it was. Pools that I’ve fished a few years back that I could never see the bottom had maybe a foot or so of water. Will the levels come back up after run off begins? Or has drought caused the levels that I witnessed? Didn’t even throw a flie in the water, just looked at my favourite pool and scratched my head. Any info would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.
Drought last year and dry years previous to that. The aquifer is down. This stream does not come from the mountains so there is no "run off" except for whatever snow melt there is in the local area, which is long gone and rain storms which we have had very little of this year. This stream system is one of a very few streams in Alberta that gets the majority of its flow from underground springs.
The snow pack hasn’t started to melt yet due to the cooler spring in the mountains. Give it a couple weeks and levels will rise. Most foothill streams and creeks are still low.
The snow pack hasn’t started to melt yet due to the cooler spring in the mountains. Give it a couple weeks and levels will rise. Most foothill streams and creeks are still low.
Hope that it is the case. Was out west today fishing and the reservoir is lower today than it was three weeks ago which is odd. Usually keeps building as the summer progresses. The immediate mountains didn't seem to have a bunch of snow pack but hopefully the ranges further up the headwaters have a bunch to melt off or we get some rain because it's looking pretty dry atm.
I have fished on the Raven over 40 years. Historically this time of year the flows are low this time of year prior to run off which typically start in June. Last year was a particularly troubling year for water levels. Lack of run off plus very limited precipitation had the river lower than I have ever seen it. Fishing was still good but the water levels are concerning.
Other things to consider on deep pools that are now shallow are the floods from the past washing sediment down the river. Couple this with bank erosion, some of the deeper pools are being filled in.
The OIp that mentioned the Raven is not affected by run off, I would tend to disagree as it originates up in the foothills. The North Raven on the other hand is spring fed and does not receives limited water from run off.
An absolute gem of a river to fish, especially now as the Salmonfly hatch is on the go.
The snow pack hasn’t started to melt yet due to the cooler spring in the mountains. Give it a couple weeks and levels will rise. Most foothill streams and creeks are still low.
Agree with this as well. In Jasper last weekend and the AthB River and flood plain still looked to be winter level. Mountains still fully snow covered.
Still, some rain would not hurt. Maybe just not MB levels.
Raven River
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