lake trout, Athabasca river.

[S_Mooj]

just wondering if you are allowed to keep these guys in the Athabasca river?

i have seen them caught in the spring right after break up when the water is still cold, around fort mac.

all i could find in the regs was

Athabasca River
River
Open all year – Mountain Whitefish limit 5 over 30 cm; Walleye limit 0 from Apr. 1 to May 31, and 3 over 43 cm from June 1 to Mar. 31; Pike limit 3 over 63 cm; Burbot limit 10; Goldeye limit 10; Arctic Grayling limit 0.

no mention of lake trout. am i missing something?

[Talking moose]

I as well seen a pic of a laker by ft Mac. The pic was posted on this site. I think it was an anomaly fluke. I wonder if people may be mistaking bull trout for lakers?

[Talking moose]

Here is the link
http://www.outdoorsmenforum.ca/showt...thabasca+River

[Talking moose]

Here is the pic



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[S_Mooj]

Originally Posted by Talking moose

I as well seen a pic of a laker by ft Mac. The pic was posted on this site. I think it was an anomaly fluke. I wonder if people may be mistaking bull trout for lakers?

nope. i seen it my own eyes. i have caught 100's of both species. there was no mistake.

i myself dont find it hard to believe that they would swim upstream during the cold months when the the water temps are down, they will go where the food is right?

from what ive seen they are an incredibly aggressive fish, i wouldn't be surprised if they chased a white fish all the way from the lake. ha

i assumed it was common to catch them in spring, after reading that thread i guess i was mistaken.

[Talking moose]

Originally Posted by S_Mooj

nope. i seen it my own eyes. i have caught 100's of both species. there was no mistake.

i would think it would be more common for them to swim upstream during the cold months when the the water temps are down, they will go where the food is right?

I wouldn't think they would have to swim from the mountains or lake Athabasca to find food in ft mac, more like their internal gps is messed up in my opinion. But who knows. That's my guess.

[S_Mooj]

Originally Posted by Talking moose

I wouldn't think they would have to swim from the mountains or lake Athabasca to find food in ft mac, more like their internal gps is messed up in my opinion. But who knows. That's my guess.

i would think from the lake because its closer? but judging by my experience from fishing in that lake, like i said earlier i wouldn't be surprised if they get ticked off and chase a white fish all the way upstream to fort mac.

[catnthehat]

There have been both bulls and
Lakers caught at the water treatment plant and the barge landing , but they are not common
Cat

[ROA]

must be from lake Athabasca as I have never heard of a laker being caught any further up stream than the ft Mac area.

Heard of a sturgeon caught 20 years ago or more in the blue ridge area though. Would love to hear of one caught again.

[Talking moose]

Originally Posted by ROA

must be from lake Athabasca as I have never heard of a laker being caught any further up stream than the ft Mac area.

Heard of a sturgeon caught 20 years ago or more in the blue ridge area though. Would love to hear of one caught again.

Never realized there was sturgeon in that watershed. Kinda neat

[FlyTheory]

Originally Posted by ROA

must be from lake Athabasca as I have never heard of a laker being caught any further up stream than the ft Mac area.

Heard of a sturgeon caught 20 years ago or more in the blue ridge area though. Would love to hear of one caught again.

A sturgeon caught in the Athabasca watershed?! All my text books say that's impossible unless there was a guy with a bucket.

[Warmbreeze]

I have heard of people saying there are sturgeon in the Athabasca as well. How come no documented cases? It wouldn't surprise me that there were ages ago but in modern times?

If a bull was caught in Ft Mac, would that mean that some occupy the whole river or it swam from way upstream?

Interesting stuff.

[S_Mooj]

So how would one treat these fish? There is no mention of them in the regulations for this stream.

Do we assume they are protected because of the extremely small numbers or do we treat them as invasion because they are not suppose to be there?

[CK Angler]

I've been fishing around ft Mac for 9 years, really focusing hard on the athabsca last few years and am still waiting for the elusive lake trout! I've seen 3 pics with my own eyes and know of a 4th. The biggest I've seen looked to be about 8 lbs, all shore fishermen on pikeral rigs in the spring it seems.

[CK Angler]

This was posted on FB last spring, not my pic saw on Fort McMurray fishing and hunting page

[CK Angler]

Another pic posted last spring.

[Supergrit]

Bull trout up by fortmcmurry are not common tributaries flowing into River?

[catnthehat]

Originally Posted by Supergrit

Bull trout up by fortmcmurry are not common tributaries flowing into River?

No, not at all.
The only ones I have seen or heard of being caught since I came in 1973 were on the main river .
Cat

[The Fisher King]

Originally Posted by Talking moose

Here is the pic



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I'm pretty sure that's a bull trout. They're more commonly found where the Athabasca flows through Jasper and the foothills, but there's no reason why they couldn't be present elsewhere. It's always best to put those fish back, especially if you're not 100% certain of species and prevailing regulations.

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[CK Angler]

Originally Posted by The Fisher King

I'm pretty sure that's a bull trout. They're more commonly found where the Athabasca flows through Jasper and the foothills, but there's no reason why they couldn't be present elsewhere. It's always best to put those fish back, especially if you're not 100% certain of species and prevailing regulations.

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It's a laker. Buddy who caught it runs a little fishing store up here out of his garage, he caught it 2013. I buy bait from him occasionally. Every year you hear of a few. I personally have yet to hear of a bull trout caught this far north until i read catnthehats comments yesterday.

[catnthehat]

Originally Posted by CK Angler

It's a laker. Buddy who caught it runs a little fishing store up here out of his garage, he caught it 2013. I buy bait from him occasionally. Every year you hear of a few. I personally have yet to hear of a bull trout caught this far north until i read catnthehats comments yesterday.

The spots tell the tale!
No markings on the dorsal fin and back , it's a bull trout
Cat

[Levy]

The deeply forked tail is a telltale sign its a Laker (pun intended). IMO the most likely source of the lake trout Near Ft. Mac is the Clear Water River which from what I have read is generally accepted as holding year round and self sustaining populations of Lake Trout.

[CK Angler]

Originally Posted by catnthehat

The spots tell the tale!
No markings on the dorsal fin and back , it's a bull trout
Cat

Here is a clearer picture, look at the deep forked tail.

[Talking moose]

Originally Posted by The Fisher King

I'm pretty sure that's a bull trout. They're more commonly found where the Athabasca flows through Jasper and the foothills, but there's no reason why they couldn't be present elsewhere. It's always best to put those fish back, especially if you're not 100% certain of species and prevailing regulations.

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Nope. It's a laker.

[catnthehat]

Originally Posted by Talking moose

Nope. It's a laker.

Yup that one is a Laker for sure
Cat

[crawad]

I've fished barge landing a ton. There are some nice Lakers there. I've caught probably 6 or so. Yes I know the difference between bulls and Lakers and I've caught them in the fall as well.
I also was wondering what the regs are in regards to lake trout in the river , we've let them all go.

[catnthehat]

The regulations ware no differed than in The lake as far as I know wich is three.
So are the regulations for bull trout in flowing waters of the upper reaches .
Cat

[Talking moose]

Originally Posted by catnthehat

The regulations ware no differed than in The lake as far as I know wich is three.
So are the regulations for bull trout in flowing waters of the upper reaches .
Cat

Your just kidding, right Cat?

[catnthehat]

Originally Posted by Talking moose

Your just kidding, right Cat?

No, I'm not ,lakers aren't mentioned for the river but they are for the lake, which is 3.
Bull trout catch limit is 0 in the upper reaches no?
You can take that gif the peer reached as well .
Cat

[Talking moose]

Originally Posted by catnthehat

No, I'm not ,lakers aren't mentioned for the river but they are for the lake, which is 3.
Bull trout catch limit is 0 in the upper reaches no?
You can take that gif the peer reached as well .
Cat

Bull trout is 0 anywhere in Alberta. Just asked because of the way you worded it, looked like you were implying it was the same as lake trout...