9 Things You Need To Know About Banff Fishing/Warnings

Fishing in Banff National Park is an exhilarating experience that can be done in the summer months as well as the winter time. I have been travelling to Banff every year for 40 years and am now enjoying the experience with my wife and two kids! Banff fishing and warnings.

Banff has many lakes and rivers that you will be able to fish in with a variety of different types of fish. The lakes here are very clean and the fish are healthy and strong.

You will find that this can make for a great fight when you are pulling these babies out of the water. There are several types of fishing styles that will help you catch different types of fish. I am not great at all of them , but I have tried them all and have my preferences.

9 things you need to know about Banff fishing

The 5 types of Fishing styles you can do in Banff are,

1. Flyfishing

Flyfishing is a style of fishing where you whip a rod back and forth with a lightweight fly on the end. This is a fishing style that works well in Banff as many of the fish including the rainbow trout eat this way. There are companies in Banff that will teach you how to fly fish.

Fishing this style is best done in the streams and rapid moving water in Banff. It is a mostly shallow fishing style

2. Lake fishing (regular style)

Yes you can lake fish in Banff, there are many lakes around and this is the most common fishing style. You probably already have a lake fishing rod in you garage somewhere.

3. Bottom fishing

Bottom fishing is when you run you line all the way to the bottom and reel it in slowly. There are certain types of fish in Banff that eat this way.

4. Jigging

Jigging is dropping your line and slowly jigging up and down until something bites. It mimics a hurt fish in the wild and looks like easy prey.

5. Ice fishing

You can ice fish in Banff at some of the many lakes. This is where you make a hole in the ice using an auger and drop your ice fishing rod line down. You will find that the fish are really hungry in the winter and it is easier to catch big fish at this time.

Things you need to know about Banff Fishing

9 Things you need to know about Banff Fishing

1. You need a license

Pretty self explanatory, even if you have an Alberta fishing license you will still need a national parks fishing license.

2. You have to have a park pass

You must have a park pass to fish in Banff.

3. Flyfishing the Bow river

The Bow river is amazing for fly fishing, at some points it is nice and shallow and there are a lot if fish. This is bear hunting grounds so beware.

4. Ice fishing lakes

You can ice fish on many of the lakes in and around Banff

5. Bow river fish

The best way to catch fish on the bow river is to fly fish. There are several outfits right in Banff that will teach you how to fly fish

6. Types of fish

You should always know what you are fishing for before you start so that you are using the correct bait. Bull trout, rainbow trout and mountain white fish will jump at fly’s, jigs, minnow crank baits and spoons or spinners.

7. Morraine lake fishing

Morraine lake is a catch and release lake only. This is a popular lake for instagram pics because of its extreme blue water. The fishing here is not the best, but it is beautiful!

8. The best fishing spots in Banff national park

The best fishing spots are Lake Minnewanka, the Bow river and hector lake. There is also pretty good fishing on the little touched lakes that are on the upper mountains and valleys in Banff and Lake louise.

9. Getting stuck on Bedrock

This is why many of the people that fish in Banff choose to use a fly instead of a spoon. If you are fishing with a heavy or large hook, you will likely get caught in the bedrock in the streams and rivers.

9 things you need to know about Banff fishing

Common questions about fishing in Banff

1. Do I need a fishing license to fish in Banff?

Yes you will need a fishing license and a park license/pass to fish in Banff, Alberta.

2. Can I fish with a regular fishing rod in Banff?

Yes you can. The best place to catch fish with a regular fishing rod are in the lake and deeper pools. The streams and rivers are more for fly fishing.

3. What kind of fish are in lake Minnewanka

Lake Minnewanka has trout, lake whitefish, and mountain whitefish.

4. What kind of fish will I catch in Banff?

There are several species of fish you can catch in Banff depending on where you are planning on fishing. The most common species of fish you will catch are bull trout, lake trout, Cuttthroat trout, Mountain whitefish and rainbow trout.

4. Can I keep the fish I catch in Banff?

Yes you can keep fish that you catch in Banff and many of them will be some of the best tasting fish you will eat in Canada. It is because the fish are from such a clean environment. They will have to be regulation size. Some species of fish are catch and release only, so make sure you check the update rules at albertafishingguide.com

5. Is the fishing in Banff good?

Yes as long as you are using the correct bait for the type of fish you are hunting.

6. Can you fish on the mountains in Banff?

You can fish right on the mountains in Banff. Many of the mountains have lakes at the top and in the valleys as well as streams. The bears fish here and so can you!

7. What is the best way to catch fish in a stream in Banff?

The best way to catch a fish in a stream is to go fly fishing. That way your bait will not get caught in the rocks on the river beds.

Other Banff resources: Parks Canada

If you have any more insight or questions about Banff, please shoot us an email or comment.