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Old 06-05-2017, 06:18 PM
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Question Fishing High Mountain Lakes

I am curious about fishing those high mountain lakes, 6500 - 7500ft.

Are they typically "ready to fish" when they open, I Guess I am asking how much snow is still up there in July "typically".

I am thinking in the Kananaskis area. I think Chester is the most northern and one of the highest in elevation, so just for an example what are peoples experiences fishing Chester in July?

Is it better to give the lake a little more time to warm up and go in August? They are all a significant significant hike so I would like to give myself the best chance to actually catch something. I read on here people wanting to go opening day so I am guess it is good fishing when it opens, I would just like to make sure.

Thanks for the help.
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Old 06-05-2017, 07:14 PM
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As a guide that guides exclusively in the alpine, there is a reason why some lakes don't open up until July 16th. Depending on what kind of spring we have, will depend on how the fishing goes... There are lakes that still have ice on them late into July. Expect things to be slow until the water and air temps warm up and the bugs start to hatch.

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Old 06-05-2017, 09:35 PM
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start with a lower one like burstall. I like to fish traditional winged wets, just seems right in the mountain setting and the little cutthroats usually love to chase things.
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Old 06-05-2017, 10:15 PM
goldscud goldscud is offline
 
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Cutts can still be in spawning mode as well up high because "spring" doesn't come until July up there
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Old 06-05-2017, 11:38 PM
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Very few alpine lakes in Kananaskis have naturally reproducing/self sustaining populations of WS Cutties (I only know of 1 or 2). They may be wanting to spawn, but without an inlet or outlet stream, cannot.

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Cutts can still be in spawning mode as well up high because "spring" doesn't come until July up there
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Old 06-06-2017, 10:23 AM
Jadham Jadham is offline
 
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I guess it's all a matter of perspective.

Chester is actually a very easy "hike in" lakes to access and certainly not the highest.

A number of the lakes are open year round and I find fish really well when ice off occurs... access/long approach postholing through snow are the biggest issues and when to fish them IMHO. Wind can be bugger at any point in the season.
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Old 06-06-2017, 12:27 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Jadham View Post
I guess it's all a matter of perspective.

Chester is actually a very easy "hike in" lakes to access and certainly not the highest.

A number of the lakes are open year round and I find fish really well when ice off occurs... access/long approach postholing through snow are the biggest issues and when to fish them IMHO. Wind can be bugger at any point in the season.
It is all about perspective, it may only be 300m elevation gain over the 5km hike but the lake itself is still over 7000ft (according to google earth) in elevation and the most northern lake I was considering so in my mind this would be the lake that I could judge lakes further south and a few hundred feet lower in elevation. A couple degrees in temperature could make all the difference.

That's why I am trying to gather all the info now when I have time to plan.
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Old 06-06-2017, 12:28 PM
Gerald J Gerald J is offline
 
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Never been to any high mountain lakes. All I can do is repeat what I once heard, I think from Vic Bergman's video: "August, when access to the high country is best".
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Old 06-06-2017, 12:29 PM
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Quote:
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Never been to any high mountain lakes. All I can do is repeat what I once heard, I think from Vic Bergman's video: "August, when access to the high country is best".
He would definitely know
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Old 06-06-2017, 12:41 PM
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A lot of them are open year round. But I've visited some in July that still have some ice on them. Loomis was like that.
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Old 06-06-2017, 01:42 PM
Jadham Jadham is offline
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by millsboy79 View Post
It is all about perspective, it may only be 300m elevation gain over the 5km hike but the lake itself is still over 7000ft (according to google earth) in elevation and the most northern lake I was considering so in my mind this would be the lake that I could judge lakes further south and a few hundred feet lower in elevation. A couple degrees in temperature could make all the difference.

That's why I am trying to gather all the info now when I have time to plan.
Elevation is certainly important, but I consider the second most to be proximity to continental divide/precipitation. As you go from east to west there can be quite different ice-off times because of the microclimate differences even for lakes at the same elevation. They are too close for latitude to make a significant difference.
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Old 06-06-2017, 02:22 PM
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Great point... I was thinking of what side of the mountain they were on wondering how much sun they would get.


No matter the answer the best time is probably August.

Maybe it will even be a little tiny bit calmer this year with everyone taking advantage of their free park pass. A fella can hope at least lol.
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Old 06-10-2017, 03:45 PM
Sbrooks Sbrooks is offline
 
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I'm in the area in late june/early july... any chance picklejar would be ice free?
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Old 06-10-2017, 08:36 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Sbrooks View Post
I'm in the area in late june/early july... any chance picklejar would be ice free?
should be by then. you need two things at picklejar: soft hackles and bear spray
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Old 06-11-2017, 08:18 AM
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Don't go here.

Pretty area and fun cutts

http://www.albertawow.com/hikes/Runn..._Rain_Lake.htm

Lots of less enjoyable places to go.
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Old 06-11-2017, 10:15 AM
Sbrooks Sbrooks is offline
 
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I've been to both before, years back just not this early in the season! I know some lakes the ice remains longer due to the mountain shadow, etc... just wanted to make sure.. Yes bearspray is a must! speaking of bears I heard a guy was killed up in picklejar by a grizz a couple years ago.
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Old 06-19-2017, 02:53 PM
friendofacatahoula friendofacatahoula is offline
 
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I have been to just about all of them in the Kananaskis area. To guaranty they are ice free wait until mid July unless previously reported it is.

One trip into Running Rain there was a layer on ice on it when we arrived mid morning. Had lunch and by them time noon rolled around and the sun hit and mostly had melted off. Hundreds of small fish sunning themselves. While fun and more of doing it for the hike vs fishing anything of them are worth it if it's what you like.

Picklejar I would say is one of the easier day trips. Chester, Lillian, Galatea I find are busier on weekends.

Sometimes the hardest part is some route finding earlier as depending on the range snow depths can still be significant and hide the trail.

Burns, Headwall, Shark, Smuts, Rawson, Odlum, Hogarth, and other like lakes are a little more challenging or at least when I visited them they fished that way. Sometimes we had good success. Sometimes not so much. Haha.

Very few have larger fish. I enjoy these spots for the experience of the trip and it's a bonus to get to cast a line when you get there.


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Old 06-19-2017, 03:44 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by friendofacatahoula View Post
I have been to just about all of them in the Kananaskis area. To guaranty they are ice free wait until mid July unless previously reported it is.

One trip into Running Rain there was a layer on ice on it when we arrived mid morning. Had lunch and by them time noon rolled around and the sun hit and mostly had melted off. Hundreds of small fish sunning themselves. While fun and more of doing it for the hike vs fishing anything of them are worth it if it's what you like.

Picklejar I would say is one of the easier day trips. Chester, Lillian, Galatea I find are busier on weekends.

Sometimes the hardest part is some route finding earlier as depending on the range snow depths can still be significant and hide the trail.

Burns, Headwall, Shark, Smuts, Rawson, Odlum, Hogarth, and other like lakes are a little more challenging or at least when I visited them they fished that way. Sometimes we had good success. Sometimes not so much. Haha.

Very few have larger fish. I enjoy these spots for the experience of the trip and it's a bonus to get to cast a line when you get there.


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I caught my first cutty at Shark ... after I finally found the lake that is; First I took the wrong path and ended up at a dead end. Turned around and found the right path but lost it again when I came to a clearing and could not find the path on the other side so I brought the lake up on my phone and bushwacked through till I found the path again.

Certainly was a day to remember, even though the fish was tiny it still counted and the water was the clearest I have ever experienced. I would definitely say the adventure outweighed the fishing. That's never a bad thing!

Planning on doing Chester first, would like to see if I can knock a new species off the list; hoping to go the 6th or 7th to try and avoid some of the weekend warriors.
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Old 06-19-2017, 03:58 PM
friendofacatahoula friendofacatahoula is offline
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by millsboy79 View Post
I caught my first cutty at Shark ... after I finally found the lake that is; First I took the wrong path and ended up at a dead end. Turned around and found the right path but lost it again when I came to a clearing and could not find the path on the other side so I brought the lake up on my phone and bushwacked through till I found the path again.



Certainly was a day to remember, even though the fish was tiny it still counted and the water was the clearest I have ever experienced. I would definitely say the adventure outweighed the fishing. That's never a bad thing!



Planning on doing Chester first, would like to see if I can knock a new species off the list; hoping to go the 6th or 7th to try and avoid some of the weekend warriors.


Check out bear pond for Grayling. It's been a few years since I fished it but easy access,
Lower elevation and at least when I was last there decently productive.



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Old 06-19-2017, 04:32 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by friendofacatahoula View Post
Check out bear pond for Grayling. It's been a few years since I fished it but easy access,
Lower elevation and at least when I was last there decently productive.



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I have been there a number of times. Last time I hiked past to Big Iron just to see how hard it would be to find.

Bear is a good spot and those fish are quite a good fight for the size.
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Old 08-14-2017, 03:11 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Sundancefisher View Post
Don't go here.

Pretty area and fun cutts

http://www.albertawow.com/hikes/Runn..._Rain_Lake.htm

Lots of less enjoyable places to go.
When did you catch cutts at running rain? I went there a couple weeks ago and saw zero fish in the shallow area, and zero subsurface, zero risers, and zero jumpers at the deep pool at the far end.

Winterkill?
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Old 08-15-2017, 01:43 AM
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When did you catch cutts at running rain? I went there a couple weeks ago and saw zero fish in the shallow area, and zero subsurface, zero risers, and zero jumpers at the deep pool at the far end.

Winterkill?
Haven't heard of a winterkill there. No jumpers doesn't mean no fish thankfully.
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Old 08-15-2017, 08:40 AM
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Originally Posted by millsboy79 View Post
I caught my first cutty at Shark ... after I finally found the lake that is; First I took the wrong path and ended up at a dead end. Turned around and found the right path but lost it again when I came to a clearing and could not find the path on the other side so I brought the lake up on my phone and bushwacked through till I found the path again.

Certainly was a day to remember, even though the fish was tiny it still counted and the water was the clearest I have ever experienced. I would definitely say the adventure outweighed the fishing. That's never a bad thing!

Planning on doing Chester first, would like to see if I can knock a new species off the list; hoping to go the 6th or 7th to try and avoid some of the weekend warriors.
Good for you .Shark is hard to find and the bowl shape and distance out to deep water makes it tough fishing..
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Old 08-15-2017, 08:41 AM
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I was at Running Rain Lake on the weekend, and saw absolutely nothing either. If there are fish left in the lake, I would be shocked.
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Old 08-22-2017, 12:55 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Sbrooks View Post
I've been to both before, years back just not this early in the season! I know some lakes the ice remains longer due to the mountain shadow, etc... just wanted to make sure.. Yes bearspray is a must! speaking of bears I heard a guy was killed up in picklejar by a grizz a couple years ago.
There was a grizzly attack in 2014 at Elbow Lake. Not sure what happened to the people attacked. It is a heavily used trail too, so a bit surprising.

I have seen many bears in K-Country this year.
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Old 08-22-2017, 01:06 PM
1stLand 1stLand is offline
 
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I have been to elbow 6 times and tombstone 2 times and never seen a bear or bear scat.

I don't remember hearing of a bear attack in 2014 but there are definitely grizz there.

I would be more worried about hiking to Rawson or Headwall or chester.
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Old 01-04-2018, 07:27 PM
coyoteman coyoteman is offline
 
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Default high mountain lakes

AT the base of mt Athabasca in front of the icefield centre ,a small lake called ripple lake,absolutely full of self sustaining rainbow,i hooked and released hundreds there over the years,got one pounder plus,most any 14-18 fly will work,of course rise sensitive-------
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Old 01-04-2018, 07:40 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 1stLand View Post
I have been to elbow 6 times and tombstone 2 times and never seen a bear or bear scat.

I don't remember hearing of a bear attack in 2014 but there are definitely grizz there.

I would be more worried about hiking to Rawson or Headwall or chester.
Tombstone has a lot of grizzly in there, Chester, and headwall have a bunch of grizz, been chased off Chester before by a big ol boar, haven't been able to go a number of times too because it was closed, never seen a bear or sign of bear around rawson and I've been there quite a few times (still bring spray). Picklejar is the one where there was a bear attack in 2014, sept 6 to be exact, killed a good friend of mine, it's still alive and well unless it died of natural causes. Went out bird hunting last year close by and saw really fresh bear sign.
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Old 01-04-2018, 08:13 PM
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Quote:
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AT the base of mt Athabasca in front of the icefield centre ,a small lake called ripple lake,absolutely full of self sustaining rainbow,i hooked and released hundreds there over the years,got one pounder plus,most any 14-18 fly will work,of course rise sensitive-------
Actually, they're Brook Trout in Ripple. It's a great place to teach a kid to flyfish: lots of room to back-cast, lots of starving, colourful little brookies, in jaw-dropping scenery.
* Tip - bring a zip lock bag, and fill it with water so the kids can admire the brookies colours before release, without squeezing it to death.
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Old 01-05-2018, 01:57 AM
Jason.seaward Jason.seaward is offline
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by thumper View Post
Actually, they're Brook Trout in Ripple. It's a great place to teach a kid to flyfish: lots of room to back-cast, lots of starving, colourful little brookies, in jaw-dropping scenery.

* Tip - bring a zip lock bag, and fill it with water so the kids can admire the brookies colours before release, without squeezing it to death.

Thumper... great tip about the ziplock bag filled with water. My youngest has become very interested in fish, so this is a great idea to prolong the viewing during a catch with hopefully minimizing any damage to the fish. Thanks!


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