Why TV’s Fish’n Canada hosts love this surprising Alberta river

By Angelo Viola & Pete Bowman

We refer to this destination as “Saskatchewan in Alberta.” Confused? Well, don’t be, because we’re talking about the North Saskatchewan River, which flows through the province of Alberta. In fact, it runs directly through the city of Edmonton. How’s that for an urban fishery? And of course, it also runs through its namesake province of Saskatchewan.

The North Saskatchewan actually starts flowing from the Canadian Rockies, ultimately meeting up with the South Saskatchewan River east of Prince Albert, Saskatchewan. From there, the waterway becomes the Saskatchewan River, which empties into Tobin Lake, another phenomenal fishery.

It is the Edmonton stretch of the river, however, that is a truly unique fishing destination—despite a population of some 1,461,000 people, the city still produces excellent catches. And there is good shore-fishing access near bridge crossings, inflowing creeks, boat launch areas, designated walkways and trails, and some picnic sites.

If you have a boat, on the other hand, the fishing opportunities are practically endless. The list of fish species in this mighty river includes walleye, northern pike, sauger, burbot, goldeye, mountain whitefish and even sturgeon. There are strong numbers of all these fish, with some reaching trophy proportions.

Frankly, anything here is liable to bite, so try running a dead minnow on a pickerel rig or a heavy slip-sinker rig. Imagine hooking into a four-foot-plus sturgeon, right in the middle of a major Canadian city! And that’s what makes the North Saskatchewan River in Edmonton a must-visit fishing destination.

We recommend fishing guide Ray Kohlruss at www.reelangling.com. For a complete guide to Fish’n Canada Show episodes, TV channels and show times, go to www.fishncanada.com or www.facebook.com/fishncanada.