June 11, 2013

Bearspaw Reservoir

Bearspaw Reservoir

Bearspaw Reservoir is the only Lake Trout fishery within the city limits of Calgary, and also holds a population of Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout and Northern Pike. There is a considerable amount of open shore to fish from however since access has been cut off from the East end, it is virtually impossible to access the reservoir by foot, and trespassing has landed a few anglers with heavy fines in the hundreds. Boat access is possible from the North West end however most of the land is privately owned and would require permission to launch a boat.

The closure of the east end was a collaboration of Enmax and CP Rail. Due to a few incidents on the railroad track and constant trespassing onto the dam structure and danger zones, they got permission to put up a chain link fence capped with barbed wire. Although access has been closed, the city of Calgary released a statement about the Bearspaw Legacy park development, which will be developed within the next ten years as part of the Enmax Parks program.

Bearspaw Reservoir was once a popular fishing location and has now become a bit of a sore subject amongst Calgary anglers. Despite the closure there is hope for a positive future. With low fishing pressure and the plans for a new park development it could be reignited as a great place to fish with-in the next decade.

Quick Overview

Labels: , , , , , ,