Livingstone River (falls)

CdnVet0506 · #1 07-23-2015, 03:45 PM

Hi all:

Doing a little research my wife's and my August RV trip/vacation. One of the places we are looking at now is Livingstone Falls on the Livingstone River(arrive early on a Friday, leave the following Thursday).
Couple questions arise, how's the river fishing - being C&R I assume good but crowded - especially on weekends??? Also, anyone had experience with the Livingstone Falls campground? Its first come first served so how busy is it normally (expect to arrive by noon - NOT on a long weekend so that crowd is out), hate to arrive and find it full....

Any help is appreciated

lannie · #2 07-23-2015, 06:28 PM

It is an very busy place even mid week. The livingstone river area is getting to be the most popular ATV area in the province with deep ruts being very common on the trails. There is no less than 100 RV's along the river today with dozens of ATV's on the go. There is no stretch of the 'stone that does not get lots of fishing traffic but they are very easy to catch cutties. What does surprise me is how few people go into the BC side to camp. I would drive the extra km's for the peace.

CDone · #3 07-23-2015, 07:04 PM

Provincial campground is usually quite quiet as most random camp down there, we usually spend a week in September and have had the whole place to ourselves. Fishing can be really good depending on the hatches, caddis, mayflies (a size 14 to 16 parachute adams works well) and even beetle patterns when trout become picky are my go to's. Lots of water to explore either upstream or down from the actuall falls, one of our favourite places to go.

Colin

cowboyhunter · #4 07-23-2015, 07:28 PM

The campground will have lots of room. There is good fishing up and down the Livingstone, 8 and 10 inchers. Enjoy your time!

grinr · #5 07-24-2015, 12:18 AM

Just returned Monday nite from 3 days/2 nites camping on Liv.
Saturday afternoon the falls campground was near full and lotsa random campers up and down the FTR.By Sunday afternoon I'd guess 80-90% had cleared out...never seen a soul on river Sunday afternoon,all day Monday.
Weekends are busy...weekdays peaceful and quiet...long weekends fogetaboutit,there's no exaggeration 500 campers between Indian Graves and Oldman Gap,freakn gong show,ya couldn't wet a line if ya tried for people splashing and playing in the water!!
The Liv and other Oldman tribs are very low and clear but cool,with morning temps 54F on Liv,mid-high 50s late afternoon.
Cutties were eager as usual,pretty good 2 days overall keeping my 12yo boy entertained with cooperative cutts.

friendofacatahoula · #6 07-26-2015, 01:01 PM

I was just down there for 8 days. Drove through the Falls campsite on the previous weekend and I would say it wasn't near half full. There are 22 sites there and I do not believe there were 10 total sites occupied.

It can be hit and miss but I have never seen it full. Most of the trailers you see along the river from Livingston to Oldman and south past that to RaceHorse are only occupied on the weekends as people leave them there full time.

There are still many spots to be had for free or just go a little further to Dutch or even RaceHorse camp areas of you do not want to random camp.

We spend a lot of time down there and try to hit the areas mid week. The area can be a gong show on long weekends. It is still one of Albertas best cut throat stream areas though. We fish 5 streams along with the Oldman and regularly catch 20+ fish a day sometimes 30. That is plenty fun for us. When targeting the larger fish on the bigger water it is usually pretty good as well. The water has definitely been warmer though and I would imagine stay that way for awhile so practice good handling of the fish. The big cuties and bulls see a fair share of pressure. Honestly I hate to promote the area further out of selfishness but I have never had a bad time down there. Even with the quads and bikes which the CO's do not appear to enforce the no road use very much with. I have since been in a discussion where the CO's say the road is an RCMP enforcement area. I have no idea.

KyleYYC · #7 08-11-2015, 04:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by grinr

Just returned Monday nite from 3 days/2 nites camping on Liv.
Saturday afternoon the falls campground was near full and lotsa random campers up and down the FTR.By Sunday afternoon I'd guess 80-90% had cleared out...never seen a soul on river Sunday afternoon,all day Monday.
Weekends are busy...weekdays peaceful and quiet...long weekends fogetaboutit,there's no exaggeration 500 campers between Indian Graves and Oldman Gap,freakn gong show,ya couldn't wet a line if ya tried for people splashing and playing in the water!!
The Liv and other Oldman tribs are very low and clear but cool,with morning temps 54F on Liv,mid-high 50s late afternoon.
Cutties were eager as usual,pretty good 2 days overall keeping my 12yo boy entertained with cooperative cutts.

I went fishing at the Gap on the Monday. I wish I had a mask and goggles for the dust from the non-stop parade of trucks pulling RV's out of the campsite on that dirt road. Non-stop traffic all day long.

troutmaster · #8 08-12-2015, 05:33 PM

The livingstone is one of my favorite places to catch some cutthroat!

upstream · #9 08-12-2015, 10:22 PM

I fished livingstone 2weeks ago on a weekday and it wasn't bad at all.
Lots of campers off the river so I decided to walk into random atv trails and bush wacking my way in. It sure paid off.
I was the only one on the stretches and fished the whole section.
The only visitor I ran into was a deer

kcoderre · #10 08-13-2015, 02:26 PM

As was said before, the key to the livingstone is to hike and fish. I've fished the livingstone lots of times and never met a soul. The secret is twofold. First hike about 3 or 4 Km downstream of your vehicle then fish back. If you are like me the hike takes about an hour and the fishing will take, well, as long as you want, it usually takes me at least 5 hours to get back. Second, if at all possible go midweek. Was out last thursday and never met a soul...although there were two conservation trucks parked next to me when I got back, never saw the officers though. Was a beautiful day as always on the Livingstone, lots of nice cutts and a few very wary bulls (that didn't want any part of my streamers). Here are some of the cutts I caught and the most productive fly (Western Coachman)
Western Coachman.jpg
LivingStone Cutty above CG 1 (640x480).jpg
LivingStone Cutty above CG 2 (640x480).jpg
LivingStone Cutty above CG 3 (640x480).jpg