A variety of game fish species reside in the Bearspaw to Carseland section of the Bow River. Rainbow trout and brown trout are the most sought after species of game fish in this section. Of lesser significance to anglers in this section of river are bull trout, cutthroat trout, rocky mountain whitefish and northern pike. Throughout this web site fish will be described as "wild" or "native." We believe it's important to distinguish between these two types of fish. A "wild fish" may be an introduced species, but reproduces naturally and has for many years. A "native fish" was native to the Bow River watershed long before European settlers came to the region. It should also be noted that although Alberta Environmental Protection operates the Sam Livingstone Fish Hatchery along the banks of the Bow River near downtown Calgary, none of the fish from this hatchery are released into the Bow. Although man has tampered in the past with the genetics of the Bow River, it is now being left to nature.The game fish of the lower Bow River include

•    Rainbow Trout - An introduced species, the Rainbow Trout is a favorite of most anglers on the Bow River. This strain of Rainbow is celebrated for its stamina and hard-fighting abilities. Most Bow River rainbow trout make a major migration into protected tributary streams in the Sheep and Highwood River systems in the springtime to spawn.

•    Brown Trout - Originally from Europe, brown trout were introduced to the Bow in the early 20th century and have successfully colonized the river from below Bow Falls in Banff National Park out onto the prairies on the Blackfoot Reservation. Fall spawners, the brown trout have found optimum spawning habitat within the City of Calgary.

•    Bull Trout - Bull trout, a native species to the area and now Alberta's provincial fish, was originally widely distributed throughout Alberta. Unfortunately, progress was not kind to this predator. This species feeding habits make it susceptible to angler harvest. Bull trout also thrive in clean water which means they've been affected by development activities that have degraded our water quality. That said, special regulations created in the 1990's prohibit the harvesting of bull trout. These regulations seem to be leading to a comeback for this species.

•    Westslope Cuttroat Trout - Another native species, the westslope cutthroat was originally found throughout the South Saskatchewan River Basin. Interbreeding with the introduced rainbow trout has just about diluted the cutthroat trout from the Lower Bow. Introduction of new catch and release regulations coupled with new size limits creates some optimism about the future of this most special native species up in the headwaters.

•    Rocky Mountain Whitefish - Abundant throughout the Bow River, these native fish are not properly respected by many anglers, but when a whitefish grows to the size that these fish are capable of reaching on the Bow, they are deserving of your respect. They have saved the day for many anglers, and some would argue they provide better sport than the trout for those who brave the Bow during our winter months. They can provide excellent winter fishing when the trout are sulking. Pursuit of these fish is very much a sporting challenge and they should be respected as such.  

•    Northern Pike - Native to the prairie rivers of Southern Alberta, but relatively rare in the swift-flowing trout section of the Bow River. Every now and then a northern pike will make itself known to the angler. Beware!