Fishing Experiences
The Red Deer River anchors recreational fishing in the Red Deer
County and features quite a diversity of game fish: brown trout,
goldeye, mountain whitefish, northern pike, sauger and walleye,
with the occasional lake sturgeon as a bonus. With the exception of
brown trout, which are a species that originated in Europe, all
these species are native to the Red Deer River. The brown trout
were stocked in the Red Deer River below Glennifer Reservoir by the
provincial government dating back to 1932, with supplemental
plantings of wild brown trout transplanted from the Bow River in
1992. They suffered a set back from devastating floods in 1995 and
2005 and are slowly recovering in numbers but are still a major
draw because of their large 22 inch+ size. Trophy size brown trout
of this size are rare in western Canada.
Two local fly-fishing operations provide guided float trips for
trophy brown trout on the Red Deer River: Fly Fish Alberta and Tailwater Drifters. Generally, float
trips take place above the City of Red Deer and below the Dickson
Dam on Glennifer Reservoir in what's called a "Tailwater" section
noted for its stable flows. This section of the Red Deer River is a
beautiful stretch of water in a very scenic, pastoral setting.
The Red Deer River has two major tributaries below Glennifer
Reservoir: the Little Red Deer River and the Medicine River.
The Little Red Deer River is a popular destination for brown
trout fishing, as well as brook trout and mountain whitefish, with
the odd bull trout.
The mouth of the Medicine River at its confluence with the Red
Deer River is popular for pike, walleye, sauger, brown trout and
mountain whitefish.
There are a couple of key lakes in the area, Gull Lake and
Sylvan Lake, both of which are popular destinations of provincial
significance.
Gull Lake features excellent fishing for northern pike and
walleye during the open water season while Lake Whitefish are the
main draw during the ice fishing season and attract thousands of
anglers annually; burbot and northern pike are also very popular
hard-water target species, as well as yellow perch.
Pike, walleye, yellow perch and Lake Whitefish are the main
drawing cards for Sylvan Lake. Sylvan Lake has grown in popularity
in Alberta's fishing circles during the last decade as a go-to lake
for both walleye and Lake Whitefish.
Glennifer Reservoir doesn't boast great fishing but offers up
pike, walleye, mountain whitefish and the odd brown trout.
Pine Lake is another popular local lake, featuring a yellow
perch fishery.
The Dickson Trout Pond (13-35-03-W5) and Waskasoo Park Pond (18-38-27-W4) at Heritage
Ranch are stocked with rainbow trout on an annual basis. Other
water bodies that have been stocked in the last 10 years include:
Hugh Bower Pond last stocked with rainbow trout in 2005, Bennett's
Pond last stocked with rainbow trout in 2006, Crooked Creek last
stocked with brown trout in 2002 and Schrader Creek last stocked
with brown trout in 2004. Stocked lakes are popular with locals
during all season of the year, and they provide a stable
recreational base for locals in particular.
There's a Chinese proverb "When there are no fish in one spot,
cast your hook in another" which is a testament to the variety of
opportunities in the Red Deer County.