According to long time anglers, there is a big difference between ‘fishing’ and ‘catching’. Fishing refers to the attempt to have one of our Piscean friends grab on to your bait; catching is the act of having said fish available for photo opportunities or as the evening entree.
The area near Drumheller offers at least four distinct possibilities for those of you looking for great ‘fishing’ opportunities within a one hour drive.
Two of those spots are located within Starland County and are operated and maintained by contracted employees.
The McLaren Dam Recreational area offers users potable water, communal kitchens and well defined campsites.
Located approximately 80 kilometers north and east of
Drumheller near the intersection of Secondary Highways 589 and 851, the
McLaren Dam’s location is marked by signage leading to it’s exact
location at Township Road 33-4 and Range Road 18-2.
Stocked with trout since the mid-1970’s, McLaren Dam
has a reputation for some sizeable trout being taken (up to 16 inches
by some reports) and has gained a strong following of local anglers.
The second opportunity to catch the elusive ‘Badlands
Trout’, is offered at the Michichi Recreational site located within
Michichi’s corporate limits.
Although the water’s surface area is smaller than the
McLaren site, Michichi has benefited from the fish stocking program of
the provincial government for well over 25 years.
The campground and day use facilities at Michichi are
all in great shape and drinking water and washroom facilities are well
maintained.
Michichi’s smaller size allows for more shore access with a lesser amount of walking required to find your own fishing spot.
The recreation area that contains the reservoir is
located approximately 20 kilometres from downtown Drumheller, just
north of the intersection of Township Road 30-4 and Range Road 19-0.
When travelling on Highway 9 north of Drumheller, the
intersection of Twp Rd. 30-4 is hard to miss because of the railroad
crossing bearing the title ‘Dinosaur Junction’ just metres east of the
highway. Just a few kilometres east on 30-4 and a left turn at Range
Rd. 19-0 and Michichi’s trout await.
A third lake that produces some big fish is the
Crawling Valley Reservoir located south of Drumheller approximately 70
kilometres.
To get there travel east from Drumheller to Rosedale
and turn south on Highway 56. Just past the Hussar turnoff is an
intersection with Secondary Highway 561, head east approximately 18
kilometres and look for the signs. Crawling Valley Reservoir is on the
south side of the highway.
The lake has a good variety of fish, and fishermen
often return to Drumheller boasting the size of the fish they catch.
Walleye in the lake are big but regulations state they are catch and
release only, as the stocks are being replenished.
Last but not least of the Badlands offerings is the Red Deer River.
Drumheller is located in what is referred to as Reach 4 of the Red Deer River’s Integrated Management Plan.
In the plan, Reach 4 is described as “ a warm water
fishery as indicated by the absence of trout species. All sport fish
species are native and include walleye, sauger, pike, goldeye and
mooneye.”
Avid anglers know the Red Deer River can produce some trophy size fish.
There are a number of easily accessible riverbank
fishing spots from within the designated town parks and some old timers
in the area might point you to some other prime locations.
To quote a common bumper sticker, “A bad day of fishing is a lot better than a great day at work.”
