Fortress Lake, Hamber Provincial Park
 

Hi All,

Planning a packrafting trip into fortress lake this weekend with my wife, sister and brother-in-law and was hoping to hear some tips and tricks from those that have been. From my review of previous threads it appears that camping on the North end of the lake is the best option. What I am really interested in is what techniques, flies etc. guys have found to be most effective. Any spots a guy should look to try? Any to avoid? Thanks for any help you can provide.

Info is readily available...
 

The Fortress Lake hike has been covered extensively on the forum...

http://www.outdoorsmenforum.ca/showt...light=Fortress

http://www.outdoorsmenforum.ca/showt...light=Fortress

http://www.outdoorsmenforum.ca/showt...light=Fortress

http://www.outdoorsmenforum.ca/showt...light=Fortress

http://www.outdoorsmenforum.ca/showt...light=Fortress

I have no idea if they ended up fixing that suspension bridge. BigBull on the forum might know.

http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/bcparks/exp...arkpgs/hamber/

https://www.fitzhugh.ca/hamber-park-...idge-collapse/

Looks like a beautiful place to fish, I won't deny I'm slightly envious lol.

http://flyfishingthebow.com/main.htm

I would almost say do not bother fishing, the fish will be tough to get to. You will almost need to bring in a belly boat, especially if you want to fly fish, leechs and streamers and get them deep. Spin casting would be your best bet right about now.

If you can get to any creek inlet you can manage fine. (There's one across from the camp). Regardless you will need a full sink line (heaviest you can find) and a variety of streamers. Early mornings/dusk, you may find them cruising the banks and can entice them with a sedge with/without a small balanced leech underneath.

Miss that place....

I think although perhaps not the ideal vessel for fishing a packraft will do just fine and make short work of getting out if conditions permit.....

Honestly your biggest danger will be crossing the Athabasca. Be careful as the river is high and not for the faint of heart. Let us know how you make out.

I thought they repaired the bridge over the Athabasca? Never mind a quick google search confirms they have not repaired the bridge.

Yeah. I wouldn't do it. But that's me.

Hi All,

Planning a packrafting trip into fortress lake this weekend with my wife, sister and brother-in-law and was hoping to hear some tips and tricks from those that have been. FROM MY REVIEW OF PREVIOUS THREADS it appears that camping on the North end of the lake is the best option. What I am really interested in is what techniques, flies etc. guys have found to be most effective. Any spots a guy should look to try? Any to avoid? Thanks for any help you can provide.

Absolutely. Extensive review of conditions and reached out to several folks who have done this particular stretch. Definitively not something to take lightly.

Thanks a bunch for the helpful suggestions. I will let you know how we make out.

Well, ok then.
 

Techniques have been covered extensively as well in past threads too, not just the hike in.

Floating lines with chironomids, balanced leeches, blobs, nymphs. As the other poster suggested, sinking lines Types 1, 3, and 7 with bead head buggers or hairy streamers. Find bays and inlet creeks. You don't always (though usually) have to fish deep.

The former owner of the lodge cautioned people about thinking they're going to get to the north end easily hiking from the south end. My impression was that it wasn't.

Good luck. Hopefully that was more helpful.

It was. Thank you.

I already have a fairly solid plan (and fly box) in place, but you never know if a new member with exceptional knowledge of the area weighs in on a new thread.

Apparently you can hike to washout creek, but the shoreline is steep in places. Thankfully the packrafts should make short work of these sections if they get too hairy.

If you can get to Washout Creek, that would be a good place to camp and fish. The river crossings are going to be very high, so you may want to use the pack rafts there as well.

Really curious actually...
 

Oilers Nation:

I'm genuinely curious: how are you planning to tackle the Athabasca crossing?

-Mike

Appreciate the advice. Most definately the plan is to cross using the rafts.I have watched a few youtube videos of guys wading the chaba and it looks like it can be pretty sketchy depending on time of day.

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We will be using our pack-rafts rated for Class III water. We have life jackets, throw bags and everyone is experienced. We will also be crossing early in the morning when flow rates are at there lowest. We don't take the trip lightly by any stretch and have been watching flow rates for weeks.

When you hiked in to fortress lake how did you do it?

Never have
 

I've never done the hike myself.

Sorry if I created that impression; I know the previous owner and previously, he replied on a few different forums about the hike. He provided extreme details about it as well, so I felt like I was somewhat familiar with it, reading his different accounts, plus other accounts as well.

I was curious because I've known for awhile that the Chaba crossing can be challenging, but now that the Athabasca river bridge is out, I was wondering how many people are really attempting the hike.

Anyways, sounds like you've done your research and very well prepared. The raft solution sounds like the most practical approach (by far).

Good luck! Hope you catch a ton of fish.

-Mike

How did you make out ? I was at the camp and had a great week. I heard a few guys were at the east end. Was that you ?

We had a great trip and the weather was perfect! Friday night we hiked in to the Athabasca Crossing campground. We woke up early the next day and crossed the Athabasca on the rafts. The trail in after the Athabasca crossing is a bit overgrown from lack of significant use, but we made it to the lake by about 1pm on the Saturday and proceeded to paddle along the lake (into a pretty severe wind). We camped at Fortress Creek (just East of the lodge on the North side). We found early morning and late evening was by far the most productive fishing. I had a sink tip with some split shot, but a full sink would have been preferable.

It was the prettiest lake I have ever been to. We never made it to the Wood River (wives would not have approved our 8-10 hr absence). I think a full four days at the lake is in the cards for the next trip to allow for a bit more exploration.

We packed up camp early Monday morning and rafted back across the lake. We then hiked the km back to Chaba and reinflated our rafts for the float out. The float was beautiful and relatively stress free. We took out at Big Bend campsite and then hiked the remaining 6kms back to the Sunwapta Falls parking lot. All in all it was a great trip and I can't wait to go back. If anyone is considering going I would encourage you to check the flow rates religiously and make sure you have a packraft that is suitable for at least class II water.

Nice!
 

Hey that's awesome! Sounds like a great trip. I think it's great you problem solved the whole thing and got to the lake. Loved the clever twist on the walkout...floating the Chaba to Big Bend. Makes that easier!

Did you choose to raft across the Chaba on the way in as well? Or did you cross it on foot.? Was curious...

If you go back again, you can raft all the way back to Hwy 93, where the Athabasca comes next to the highway, north of Sunwapta Falls Resort. Of course, you would need to leave a vehicle there or hitch hike back to Sunwapta Falls.

I knew that was an option (and it would have been preferable), but I had read mixed reviews of how intense the section is after the Sunwapta flows in to the Athabasca. From reading posts and talking with folks who had done it, I knew the section below the lake to Big Bend was easy going. I might have given the full float a go if it had just my brother-in-law and I, but did not want to take an unnecessary risk with the ladies.

Have you done the Sunwapta section personally? If so, what time of year? What were flow rates like? How did you find it?

Yes there was decent fish at the Fortress river. Good on you..On thursday the chaba was roaring

We just used the rafts as planned. My brother-in-law was able to wade across it without too much fanfare, but if you were not 6ft 2 it was pretty sketchy. It was just safer to inflate and ferry across. Keep in mind we crossed around noon. If you were there earlier it would probably be significantly easier.

Just a few pics of the trip for those interested.https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...d693a2d3e7.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...8fa2f11c62.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...9b491b29e3.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...134f29e6a5.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...15bf6e8f79.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...1554b91781.jpg

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awesome pics, thanks for posting.

I have done it twice. The first time, we hiked a canoe into Big Bend campsite and floated down to the highway. I'm not an experienced whitewater canoeist, and we lined the canoe through the confluence of the Athabasca/Sunwapta. That was the only sketchy part. The Athabasca makes a 90 degree left turn right where the Sunwapta enters, and this is a tricky spot for the inexperienced. If I recall, that was late summer, and the flow was moderate. The next time we canoed from the Chaba, near Fortress, all the way to the highway. I was with an experienced helmsman, and we paddled the entire way, but had to stop and dump out some water a few times. That trip was in the first week of June, and the river was still fairly slow and low. And thanks for the pics - they bring back a lot of great memories!