Lake Louise Fish

[SanJuanWorm]

I went hiking last weekend. I heard there were a few kinds of trout in Lake Louise.

 

I saw a couple brookies sunning themselves along the shore of the Lake. Any other types you guys know about?

[northfork]

I went hiking last weekend. I heard there were a few kinds of trout in Lake Louise.

 

I saw a couple brookies sunning themselves along the shore of the Lake. Any other types you guys know about?

 

I've always wondered this myself. Because of the silt, though, the visibility isn't very good. What are the rules regarding fishing it?

[ÜberFly]

What do you mean by "rules"?! Do you mean for fishing within the National Park, of specific techniques?

 

P

 

What are the rules regarding fishing it?

 

[SanJuanWorm]

I saw 2 people up there with huge spinning rods as if there were massive fish to be caught. As far as silt goes have you never fished the Athabasca by Hinton?

 

Always catch fish in silty waters.

[Suntoucher]

I saw some old B&W pics in the early 1900's of lakers caught from there.

[theiceman2]

Dug this up on the net

 

Fishing at Lake Louise recreation area includes trophy size lake trout, rainbow, grayling and burbot.

[ÜberFly]

Matt, the operative word is "area" as Lake Minnawanka (sp?) has lakers and is in the "area"!! But LL most likely does not!!

 

P

 

Dug this up on the net

 

Fishing at Lake Louise recreation area includes trophy size lake trout, rainbow, grayling and burbot.

 

[theiceman2]

Good point, but I thought if I made it huge and bold people would believe it....

[SanJuanWorm]

All i saw were Taco sized (pan sized) brookies.

[Taco]

Ummm water rat tacos MUchO better than worm tacos

[SteveM]

Good point, but I thought if I made it huge and bold people would believe it....

 

 

:laugh: :laugh:

Now, that's funny stuff...

 

[Wazzy]

I was in Banff for the Aug. Long and stopped in at Wapiti sports in Canmore. The girl at the counter said there were some "good sized brookies" in Moraine as well. She said she constantly had customers coming in asking why nobody ever fished Moraine as they could often see "big fish" cruising the shoreline.

[Guest Sundancefisher]

I was in Banff for the Aug. Long and stopped in at Wapiti sports in Canmore. The girl at the counter said there were some "good sized brookies" in Moraine as well. She said she constantly had customers coming in asking why nobody ever fished Moraine as they could often see "big fish" cruising the shoreline.

 

Brookies are all I ever seen at Lake Loiuse. I found the hardest thing fishing there is releasing the Japanese tourists after the back cast hook set.

 

Take a tube and you will be in 5 billion Japanese tourist photos. If you have twin blond boy you can sell photo ops to the japanese women. I had a whole bunch come up one day to me and my boys...not twins but looked it. They asked for a photo so me and the boys went over to stand with them...awkward seconds go by and then the tour operator comes over and says...they just want photos of the boys... Second I stepped from view the cameras started flashing...

 

Learn how to shout "I just caught another giant fish" in Japanese to freak them all out :-)

 

As for other fish there are rumors of browns and such but these are just rumors. While stocking used to go on in the park it does not happen any more. Brookies are the only natural spawners now. You can see them in the creek spawning at the far end of the lake in the fall. Watching them for a while brings tourists over wondering what you are looking at...

[gizmofisher]

 

 

I hear ya on that. They are really more excited then yourself if you caught one. Fished in Banff on the Bow and the same thing. wish i knew japanese like you mentioned, pretty entertaining though!! oh yea Lake Louise is pretty good for smaller ones on spinners. just walk off the beaten path if you want to avoid tourists.

[northfork]

What do you mean by "rules"?! Do you mean for fishing within the National Park, of specific techniques?

 

P

 

Just wondered if it was indeed open for fishing.

 

Might have to try it out one of these times as I too have seen brookies in it but never anyone fishing.

[Avalanche]

Just wondered if it was indeed open for fishing.

 

Might have to try it out one of these times as I too have seen brookies in it but never anyone fishing.

 

The national parks have always been open July 1 to Labour Day (in general terms). You need a national parks license and there are some pretty specific regulations in effect (no lead...even in your vest, being one). Read up on the rest here...

 

http://www.pc.gc.ca/pn-np/ab/banff/visit/visit14a_e.asp#act

 

Never fished Lake Louise specifically but have spent time elsewhere on various beaver ponds, creeks and lakes in both Banff and Yoho Parks, Loads of Brookies so I never felt guilty about keeping a couple. Haven't been out that way for a few years now but can't imagine things have changed a lot. Take lots of flies though. Those little Brookies are voracious feeders and will chew up flies like there is no tomorrow. Again, not speaking specifically of Lake Louise but the area in general...

 

Dale

 

[Guest Sundancefisher]

The national parks have always been open July 1 to Labour Day (in general terms). You need a national parks license and there are some pretty specific regulations in effect (no lead...even in your vest, being one). Read up on the rest here...

 

http://www.pc.gc.ca/pn-np/ab/banff/visit/visit14a_e.asp#act

 

Never fished Lake Louise specifically but have spent time elsewhere on various beaver ponds, creeks and lakes in both Banff and Yoho Parks, Loads of Brookies so I never felt guilty about keeping a couple. Haven't been out that way for a few years now but can't imagine things have changed a lot. Take lots of flies though. Those little Brookies are voracious feeders and will chew up flies like there is no tomorrow. Again, not speaking specifically of Lake Louise but the area in general...

 

Dale

 

Everyone around will try and discourage you from fishing. Even the rental boat people often plead ignorance to there being fish or not in the lake...even while I watch the brookies behind them rising over and over again... As if. They just don't want you spoiling the view for the tourists... I say have at it. Right beside the hotel to the right of the outlet stream there is a bank of weeds...fish the edge ...wink wink...

[rhuseby]

As well as the brookies, I have taken a few cutts at the mouth of the outlet strem. That was 20 years ago however. Lake Louise was once called the lake of the little fishes by the natives so you can draw your own conclusion as to the size of cutts to expect. Check your national parks regs carefully as some waters are open early in the season and closed later, and others the reverse. At least that was the pattern when I fished there a lot. Oh and make sure you don't have any lead weight in possession while you're in the park.

[Pipestoneflyguy]

Remember the limitations of early aboriginal fishing methods when you consider a historical name as an info source nudge nudge- there are indeed some large fish in Lake Louise - I have never caught one but I haven't really tried to either - have I seen large cruisers ? you bet, just not at the time of year you can catch them legally (early spring before the ice sinks they can be seen cruising from shore but it usually coincides with the ice being too thin to get out on. I know some old fartz (consider I am 42) that say they have caught rainbows and a few older park records show the presence of rainbows but I have no recent info that suggests they are still there.

 

Sundance - your assuming alot (In regards to "locals" discouraging fishing and why) ! - 90% of the "local" population here is transitional and the greater volume of information they disperse is from the same brochures tourists have - very few true locals work low paying front line jobs and thus I would not expect to get good info from such folks, reality is most locals are tourists, they are just tourists with short term jobs, alot of "the blind leading the blind" goes on around these parts in terms of fishing info. Myself and another local anglers actually taught an orientation this summer at the local sports equip renter to just try and improve visitors experience with flyfishing in the area by improving the knowledge of the staff renting gear.

 

The Japanese fascination with natural blonds is pretty interesting - My wife is a natural platinum blond and man do the older Japanese men go gigidy over her, gets kinda creepy sometimes when they swarm her for pictures.

 

Morraine Lake has really perked up the last three years - great dry action !!! best spot is in a boat near the waterfall at the back of the lake - I like to go right up to the falls, cast a drifter, and then both you and your fly will drift out to the feeding zone - if they are rising on their own just float in that area casting to rises works greast too - hard to hit the right spot from shore, no back cast room and pretty tough to get a roll out that far - the cruisers seem to be looking for small fish as opposed to flies - quite rare to hear of anyone catching these guys on surface. Its a chilly lake for a belly boat, bring fleece pants is my advice if you plan to stay out a while, canoe is my fave boat but I think I'll take pontoon out at some point this summer.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Pipestoneflyguy]

PS - it costs something like $35 an hour to rent a canoe on either lake so if you want to swap a day with my clipper for a day in your neighbourhood or a float on the lower bow in pontoons PM me

 

[Guest Sundancefisher]

Remember the limitations of early aboriginal fishing methods when you consider a historical name as an info source nudge nudge- there are indeed some large fish in Lake Louise - I have never caught one but I haven't really tried to either - have I seen large cruisers ? you bet, just not at the time of year you can catch them legally (early spring before the ice sinks they can be seen cruising from shore but it usually coincides with the ice being too thin to get out on. I know some old fartz (consider I am 42) that say they have caught rainbows and a few older park records show the presence of rainbows but I have no recent info that suggests they are still there.

 

Sundance - your assuming alot (In regards to "locals" discouraging fishing and why) ! - 90% of the "local" population here is transitional and the greater volume of information they disperse is from the same brochures tourists have - very few true locals work low paying front line jobs and thus I would not expect to get good info from such folks, reality is most locals are tourists, they are just tourists with short term jobs, alot of "the blind leading the blind" goes on around these parts in terms of fishing info. Myself and another local anglers actually taught an orientation this summer at the local sports equip renter to just try and improve visitors experience with flyfishing in the area by improving the knowledge of the staff renting gear.

 

The Japanese fascination with natural blonds is pretty interesting - My wife is a natural platinum blond and man do the older Japanese men go gigidy over her, gets kinda creepy sometimes when they swarm her for pictures.

 

Morraine Lake has really perked up the last three years - great dry action !!! best spot is in a boat near the waterfall at the back of the lake - I like to go right up to the falls, cast a drifter, and then both you and your fly will drift out to the feeding zone - if they are rising on their own just float in that area casting to rises works greast too - hard to hit the right spot from shore, no back cast room and pretty tough to get a roll out that far - the cruisers seem to be looking for small fish as opposed to flies - quite rare to hear of anyone catching these guys on surface. Its a chilly lake for a belly boat, bring fleece pants is my advice if you plan to stay out a while, canoe is my fave boat but I think I'll take pontoon out at some point this summer.

 

by locals I meant the Lodge and those working for them. One of the boat people 4 years ago said they are supposed to discourage fishing from their boats. I said the hourly rate does that. I think the lodge wants the pictures perfect and maybe a flycaster would ruin that for them?

 

[Pipestoneflyguy]

Huh - intersting never really heard that before but I guess it doesn't surprise me - go figure