Runoff?

[adams]

Anyone else wondering where the mountain runoff is?

I heard there may be a little less than average snowpack, but there still should have been a deluge by now. 

I do seem to remember a year where there was virtually nothing though?

 

[yonderin]

What you see is what you get.

Haven't been home in a couple of weeks but it seemed the runoff wasn't much.  

[Komp]

Yah it is pretty wild this year, seeing some higher flows right now in my area but between a low snow pack and a hot May there doesn't appear to be much left. 

 

Reid

[SilverDoctor]

Looks kike another year of drought and low water.

[toolman]

Run off already came and went.

[danhunt]

I checked some river levels and snowpack levels from Red Deer south and as others have said, the snowpack was gone 3-6 weeks earlier than average so what you see is what you get.  The levels of the rivers and streams I checked in are at late summer levels already.  The good news is that they should be ready to go as soon as they open, and we could see some great early dryfly fishing.  That said, it could be a very short window before the waters get too warm to fish safely.

[BrianR]

This was on the box last night   https://calgary.ctvnews.ca/video?clipId=2703125

[GotABite]

These are the water temps I got today between 1 & 2pm at three locations in Fish Creek Prov Park. Outside temp 26C. Sunny.

Bow river: 200' upstream of the Fish Creek boat launch.Taken in two feet of fast moving water. 16.9C

Bow river: downstream of Bankside. Taken in slower moving water. 19.3C

Fish Creek: Between Bow Bottom Trail SE bridge and where it drains into the Bow. Taken in a 10'' deep fast riffle. 21.1C

 

 

[walker1]

We need the rain or it will be a poor season for sure. Last weekend was fantastic on a float police to mac!

[monger]

I imagine the WID will still take it's full quota of water out of the river at the Zoo. There won't be much left downstream and it is going to get very warm quickly.

Same thing at Carsland. 

Rethinking numbers for minimum flow rates should be addressed....but probably never will. Like when the Waterton gets pretty much diverted down a ditch

[yonderin]

Eyes on both the Oldman at Maycroft and Crow at Frank this afternoon.  Pretty low for the season.

Brace yourself.

[SilverDoctor]

And don't forget teh oil companies pumping water out of the creeks.

[BowLurker]

Spoke with a guide on the BC side of the Rockies that fishes around Fernie - Elk River, and they have opening day on the 15th of June. He cannot remember the last time all the waters they are able to fish will actually be fishable at this time of year. Most years, the water is too high and silty with runoff, and they must wait at least a couple weeks, and they had 80% of average snowpack for the area this past winter....eeesh.

 Get yer thermometers out, folks!

 

[trailhead]

Snowpack this winter was variable on location. North Bow drainage was low but the Castle was above average. Biggest impact was the 30 degree temps in May just melted so quickly. I was up on the Highwood and the water temp was 40F and the level was what you see mid summer. However there is now huge rain happening in the Oldman and Castle drainages so I guess we will see what happens. Pray for rain.

[danhunt]

The only good thing (if you can call it that) was the lack rainfall at the time the warm weather hit meant that the moisture either soaked into the ground or evaporated.  Had the ground been saturated already, we likely would have lost an entire age class of fish in yet another major flooding event.

[GotABite]

You know it's bad...when...https://canmore.ca/residents/about-canmore/canmore-latest-news/1258-mandatory-non-essential-water-use-ban-for-canmore-harvie-heights-and-deadman-s-flats#:~:text=Effective June 9%2C 2023 at,stop non-essential water use.

[SilverDoctor]

Yikes major drought coming if no monsoon.

[GotABite]

The spring run-off is long gone. The snow pillow has been depleted. Looks more like August levels.

 As some streams start opening up, now's not the time to target fish that have been trapped in side channels and in low flowing tributaries. Water temps may already too warm. Best to stick to the Bow and keep them fish wet.

Chances are that we will get a heavy downpour at some point and may just be enough to give those post spawners a fighting chance of return to the Bow.

[MMAX]

Was an awesome early low water season. Scored on some nice browns and a good sized bull. On 2 favourite streams saw salmonflies emerging on one, goldens on the other. Knowing my luck, had to go back to work for 2 weeks and missed the egg laying frenzy.

[FishnChips]

I was on the Sheep River on 29 June. It was low and slightly coloured from a fairly recent rain. The water temperature at 1100 a.m. was 19C. I believe our season will be foreshortened because of low snowpack. I personally do not believe any kind of rain can solve the issue. By the time 01 August arrives our front range watersheds are going to be in a spot of trouble.

 

[CROOKSIE]

Already finding a lot of dead fish on the smaller creeks/tribs. Low flow and warmer temps doing damage.