Saskawatue river near whitecourt and freeman river report

Mr.goldeye · #1 07-04-2011, 09:14 AM

Hey i was wondering if anyone here fishes this river in the upper reaches for grayling? Looking for some grayling waters closer to home (I live in St.Albert) and saw that it was closer then my usual spots on the little smokey and freeman. and on a different note how does the freeman look right now according to the flow charts it sounds good but is anyone can get a visual on it that would be awesome.

Hoyt82 · #2 07-04-2011, 10:13 AM

Where do you go on the little smoky to catch grayling I live on the banks of the little smoky the lower portion. We catch a lot of walleye but I've always wanted to catch a grayling how far up do the grayling start

0liver · #3 07-04-2011, 10:41 AM

gotta get up in the foot hills usually to catch grayling. The elk river is an awesome river for grayling,

Mr.goldeye · #4 07-04-2011, 11:05 AM

Yeah you have to hit it around fox creek

0liver · #5 07-04-2011, 11:15 AM

I like the elk river all the way up, even the McLeod in that area is nice, the pembina forks also can produce some decent grayling, and big trout n bulls that are eatin' the grayling ! also you can get walleye pike and I think rocckymtn whites too.

pretty much just rip around on the forestry trunk and you will be into some a-m-a-z-i-n-g fishing, even if you only have a spin rod take your fave wet fly and toss a couple split shot on n let er' drift !

Mr.goldeye · #6 07-04-2011, 12:04 PM

Nope I'm a flyfisherman I'll check out some of those spots

0liver · #7 07-04-2011, 12:13 PM

even better. good luck !@

Mr.goldeye · #8 07-04-2011, 01:18 PM

Just two questions where is the elk located? And do you ever fish the emebrass, tried it once last year but only did ok with athabows in the riffles with dries.

0liver · #9 07-04-2011, 02:04 PM

its upstream of the brazeau rez... just west if your looking on a map it branches off from the main river halfway between brazeau and the forestry trunk road I THINK. you can follow forestry trunk and it runs near the road for quite a bit and you can drive along the road and stop at pools toss a couple diff flys and move on...

wish I was in the vehicle with you so much easyer to just backseat drive..

Mr.goldeye · #10 07-04-2011, 04:55 PM

thanks for the directions. yeah ive been stuck in a rut for a bit and need to change up my locations that i fish see some new country

fishman · #11 07-04-2011, 05:11 PM

The sakwatamau river has grayling and rainbows in it but you have to hit up the virginia hills roas find a good map with oil field roads on it and you will find fish

Stumpslayer · #12 07-04-2011, 06:34 PM

First of all let's get the name right! The river is a good grayling stream, if you can get to it! the biggest issue is access, it runs through the Alexis band land near the Casino so if you have a quad and a good map you can find cutblock and seismic trails that will get you there probably from the Chickadee haul road, one other bonus, native Athabasca Rainbows also live in this river and others in the area!
Personally its much easier to get to Windfall creek just 20 minutes further up highway 43 and follow the windfall road to the T intersection and head right its a couple miles in and there great camping spot close to the creek. Its not to far downstream to the Athabasca there either, so Rainbows, and if your at the mouth, big pike and walleye too!

338Bluff · #13 07-04-2011, 06:38 PM

Grayling in the Elk River

You sure you arenèt getting it mixed up with Dismal Creek. It has grayling is likely closer than the Freeman. It is 100% CR and I think Mr. Waugh did a feature on it a few years back.

I have never fished the Dismal but Ièm pretty sure the Grayling are pretty sketchy in the Elk River proper. Call a fisheries biologist to be sure.

Mr.goldeye · #14 07-04-2011, 06:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stumpslayer

First of all let's get the name right! The river is a good grayling stream, if you can get to it! the biggest issue is access, it runs through the Alexis band land near the Casino so if you have a quad and a good map you can find cutblock and seismic trails that will get you there probably from the Chickadee haul road, one other bonus, native Athabasca Rainbows also live in this river and others in the area!
Personally its much easier to get to Windfall creek just 20 minutes further up highway 43 and follow the windfall road to the T intersection and head right its a couple miles in and there great camping spot close to the creek. Its not to far downstream to the Athabasca there either, so Rainbows, and if your at the mouth, big pike and walleye too!

thanks for the advise and i have some good oil road maps so i should be able to get to the upper reaches. Also is upper windfall grayling waters as well as atha bows?

fishman · #15 07-04-2011, 07:38 PM

Most creeks in the Whitecourt area are sketchy to fish anymore as over the years between beavers,logging and oil company and logging companys opening up roads right through spawning grounds the fishing is just a shadow of what it use to be.......when i was a kid i use to ride my bike behind the campground and fish beaver creek and catch rainbows and grayling.....off the topic but windfall creek is probably survived the best if you want to call it that as the population is down and the size is down..........if you do want to fish the sakwatamau river head west towards fox creek 20k until you see the virginia hills road and travel north until you hit the river.........usuing your map find a suitable road that leads to the river and yes you will catch fish....how many and how big well that is a big question........if you do not want to explore just go to the freeman but get upstream of the campground at least 4 or 5k and u will catch bigger fish lower reachs has smaller fish..........freeman river still sucks compared to the little smokey but at least u catch grayling