🎣 Highwood River: Kids' Fishing Summary

Cast your line, wait for the bite, and let most trout swim free!

📅 Season

Most of the Highwood is open June 16 to October 31. Seasons differ by stretch: the last 500 m before the Bow River is open all year, and Storm Creek is closed all year.

🚫 Bait Ban

No bait on any part of the Highwood. Use unscented lures or flies only (no scented lures or PowerBait).

🐟 Trout

Most trout must be released. In the upper headwaters you may keep up to 2 brook trout. Mountain whitefish can be kept on some stretches at some times, so check the limits.

🧒 Licence

Kids under 16 do not need a fishing licence, but they still follow the rules. Anglers 16 to 64 need a sportfishing licence. Alberta residents 65 and over don't (official licensing page).

Check before you go: Always check the official 2026 Alberta Guide to Sport Fishing Regulations before fishing. The Highwood River rules are in the official Eastern Slopes (ES1) rivers table. This page is a kid-friendly summary, not legal advice.

🗺️ Family fishing spots

Regulations change, so always check the official regs before you go. Last checked against the 2026 Alberta Guide to Sport Fishing Regulations on October 14, 2026. Licence: anglers 16 to 64 need one; kids under 16 don't (licensing). No barbless-hook rule is listed for these waters. Ice fishing is not allowed on flowing water in ES zones; see general regulations. All spots are in watershed unit ES1.

🎣 Chain Lakes Reservoir

📍 Chain Lakes Provincial Park, west of Nanton

On Alberta's put-and-take trout stocking list, so catchable trout are stocked.

Season: Open all year
Limits: 5 trout (any size), 3 northern pike, 15 yellow perch
Bait: Bait allowed
Closures: None listed
Zone: ES1 (Eastern Slopes)

📘 Official regulations (Put & Take stocked lakes list (ES1))

📍 Open in Maps

🎣 Mount Lorette Ponds

📍 Kananaskis Country (Hwy 40)

Small, calm ponds with their own special stocked-pond rules. A good size for first casts.

Season: Open all year
Limits: 2 trout total; 3 walleye, 3 pike, 15 perch
Bait: Bait allowed (no bait fish)
Closures: None listed
Zone: ES1 (Eastern Slopes)

📘 Official regulations (ES1 lakes table)

📍 Open in Maps

A calm forest pond lined with spruce trees in Kananaskis Country — Photo: davebloggs007 (Flickr), CC BY 2.0

🎣 Sibbald Lake

📍 Kananaskis Country (Hwy 68, west of Calgary)

Stocked put-and-take trout lake.

Season: Open all year
Limits: 5 trout (any size), 3 northern pike, 15 yellow perch
Bait: Bait allowed
Closures: None listed
Zone: ES1 (Eastern Slopes)

📘 Official regulations (Put & Take stocked lakes list (ES1))

📍 Open in Maps

A beaver dam holding back a quiet pond in Kananaskis Country — Photo: davebloggs007 (Flickr), CC BY 2.0

🎣 Sibbald Meadows Pond

📍 Kananaskis Country (Hwy 68)

Stocked put-and-take trout pond.

Season: Open all year
Limits: 5 trout (any size), 3 northern pike, 15 yellow perch
Bait: Bait allowed
Closures: None listed
Zone: ES1 (Eastern Slopes)

📘 Official regulations (Put & Take stocked lakes list (ES1))

📍 Open in Maps

Calm water of McLean Creek pond with spruce trees reflected — Photo: davebloggs007 (Flickr), CC BY 2.0

🎣 McLean Pond

📍 McLean Creek area, south of Bragg Creek

Stocked put-and-take trout pond.

Season: Open all year
Limits: 5 trout (any size), 3 northern pike, 15 yellow perch
Bait: Bait allowed
Closures: None listed
Zone: ES1 (Eastern Slopes)

📘 Official regulations (Put & Take stocked lakes list (ES1))

📍 Open in Maps

🎣 Glenmore Reservoir

📍 Southwest Calgary

A big fishery right in the city, with a season that closes for winter.

Season: May 1 to Oct 31
Limits: 5 trout; 5 mountain whitefish over 30 cm; 3 pike; 15 perch
Bait: Bait allowed (no bait fish)
Closures: Closed Nov 1 to Apr 30
Zone: ES1 (Eastern Slopes)

📘 Official regulations (ES1 lakes table)

📍 Open in Maps

🎣 Wedge Pond

📍 Kananaskis Country (Hwy 40)

A small pond for practising your cast. Trophy-only harvest, so it's mostly catch and release.

Season: Open all year
Limits: 1 trout over 50 cm; 0 Arctic grayling
Bait: Bait ban
Closures: None listed
Zone: ES1 (Eastern Slopes)

📘 Official regulations (ES1 lakes table)

📍 Open in Maps

🎣 Lower Kananaskis Lake

📍 Peter Lougheed Provincial Park, Kananaskis

Big mountain lake. A good spot for older kids learning lure fishing.

Season: Open all year (except the closed bay)
Limits: 1 trout total. Rainbow and cutthroat trout must be over 50 cm to keep.
Bait: Bait ban
Closures: Northwest bay closed all year
Zone: ES1 (Eastern Slopes)

📘 Official regulations (ES1 lakes table)

📍 Open in Maps

🎣 Upper Kananaskis Lake

📍 Peter Lougheed Provincial Park, Kananaskis

Mountain lake with day-use areas; mostly catch and release.

Season: Open all year; within 100 m of Rawson Creek inlet open Jul 16 to May 31 only
Limits: 1 trout total. Rainbow and cutthroat trout must be over 50 cm to keep.
Bait: Bait ban
Closures: Rawson Creek inlet area closed Jun 1 to Jul 15
Zone: ES1 (Eastern Slopes)

📘 Official regulations (ES1 lakes table)

📍 Open in Maps

🎣 Sheep River

📍 Turner Valley / Black Diamond (Diamond Valley) and upstream

The town's recommended family river. Catch and release for trout.

Season: Jun 16 to Oct 31 (open stretches)
Limits: 0 trout; 5 mountain whitefish over 30 cm (Gorge Creek down to the Highwood)
Bait: Bait ban
Closures: Indian Oils Day-use bridge down to Gorge Creek: closed all year
Zone: ES1 (Eastern Slopes)

📘 Official regulations (ES1 rivers table)

📍 Open in Maps