Icefield Highway fly fishing

[Horsehead]

I am driving through Jasper/Banff on the Icefield highway this weekend. Is there any decent fishing along the highway for a quick couple casts. Looking for an hour or two to break up the drive a bit.

[lds]

Originally Posted by Horsehead

I am driving through Jasper/Banff on the Icefield highway this weekend. Is there any decent fishing along the highway for a quick couple casts. Looking for an hour or two to break up the drive a bit.

Never fished any myself but I hear it's great. I'm sure any water you choose along there will be worth fishing

[Dak1138]

If I am looking at the national parks pamphlet correctly, most of the streams and lakes are open in July. You are a few weeks too early. Sunwapta River is open year round as is the Athabasca, but most tributaries are closed. I am not familiar with Banff but it appears that the Bow is open. Don't forget your park license and follow the rules . Good luck.

[BBT]

Never hurts to chuck streamers on the AthaB

[Horsehead]

OK, thanks for the info. Looks like I will be trying the upper bow or the upper Athabasca. Not sure if there are any fish above the falls. All tribs to the bow are closed till July. Maybe the lake outflow will be good.

[Larry.S]

There's lots of fishing along the parkway. The elevation and runoff mean smaller trout, but there are lots of them and the scenery is pretty awesome.

I've caught a lot of bulls out of the athabasca and sunwapta. None of them were hugr (12-16 seems to be the average). There are also a lot of whitefish and smaller rainbows in the athabasca as well. It's probably still frozen, but the little lake at the toe of the glacier has small Bulls in it. Pretty cool fishing next to a glacier.

Horseshoe Lake is worth checking out as well. There are some big rainbows in there and it's a pretty spot to fish. Bow lake as well.

[Dak1138]

Which direction are you going. The guys at Online Sports in Jasper should be able to help you. Unless your journey ends in Jasper than I guess it may not help you too much.

[McLeod]

Horseshoe is closed and no rainbows. Yes your a little early but there is some flowing water to cast a line into.

[Horsehead]

I wondered if there would be fish near the glacier. Its hard to imagine that it would support much for fish. Would be a good place to check out.
I will be heading north from Banff through to Grande Cache. I have spent some time fishing around Jasper looking to explore more around the Ice field road.

[thumper]

I've basically given up on providing detailed suggestions on this forum, because I seldom get any feedback on how the op fared, but here it goes....

The little pond across the highway from the Icefields Centre is full of very pretty but small brook trout - but it doesn't open until July. That pond is partially spring fed (at the south end by the pump-house). Right where the outlet goes through the culvert can be good too, just watch you don't catch a motorhome on your back-cast. And feel free to keep what the regs permit - Parks Canada hates brook trout (non-native), and they taste great on a stick over a camp-fire! The silt-laden pond at the toe of the Athabasca Glacier doesn't have anything in it.
If the Sunwapta River is open, there's good bull trout fishing in the pools below the lower falls. Steep access from the path/viewpoint down though, and run-off might make it unfishable.
It can be tough to find & purchase Parks Canada fishing licenses - you might try the park gates, the Info Centre in Banff on Banff Ave for sure, (if you can find parking) and the Info Centre in Lake Louise.
BTW, the proper name of the highway is 'The Icefields Parkway' - 93N
Have fun & let us know how you make out.

[Horsehead]

Thanks for the advice thumper. I already have a parks license. I picked it up at the Jasper tourist info center in town. Is that pond considered part of the Athabasca? or is it the "all other lakes"? The regs say that the Athabasca upstream of the falls is open year round. If it is not open till July I won't be able to fish there on this trip but I will keep it in mind for the future.

[thumper]

It's 'all other lakes ' and it flows into the Sunwapta, which flows into the Athabasca. I've tried to convince a Park Warden that the pond was part of the Sunwapta - but was unsuccessful. Actually, its local name is Ripple Lake, as every afternoon and evening the katabatic winds off the glacier make its surface ripple.

I know that it's weird that the outflow of the Athabasca Glacier flows into the Sunwapta River, (and not directly into the Athabasca River) but that's how it is!

[SNAPFisher]

You guys know you can simply purchase a national parks license at the Fishing Hole...anytime. Just makes things a big easier for the trip when you have it before you go.