Freestone · Gravel · Alberta, CA

Red Deer River (upper, near Sundre)

Red Deer River (upper, near Sundre) — Red Deer River [EXPLORED]
Today · About as good as it gets
Sculpin Streamer
Forecast · Today
About as good as it gets
On the feed top to bottom — start on the rises with a dry, drop a nymph if they stay down.
75% projected
Today's fly
Sculpin Streamer
Sculpin Streamer
Conditions on the water · Today
Live gauge
Level
Steady
1.57 m
Water temp8.4°C
ClarityClear
Weather8°C
WindN 14 km/h
Pressure1016 hPa
Rain · recent6.6 mm
Rain · ahead0.0 mm

The nearest gauge doesn't record temperatures, so we've estimated it — defer to the river keeper's advice.

Water temperature for Bull Trout
Ideal
8°C est.ideal 6–12°C
0°14°28°
How to fish it · for Bull Trout
When
Nymphing can work through most of the day.
Where
Cover mixed depths.
Method
Start with tight-line nymphs and adjust if fish rise or drift higher.
Kit
9 ft #4 rod, floating line, 12 ft tapered leader to 4–5 lb fluoro tippet.
Why this works
Good — water temperature is right today, though insect activity could be better.
Likely species
Mayflies
Caddisflies
Hatch timeline · todayPeak at 10:00

12:00(now) — Black Midge

Stage: On emergersApproach: Emerger or dryActivity: 60%
Also:Western Blue-Winged Olive49%
Peak emergence window4 food groups active

Peak activity at 10:00 — Black Midge (Black Midge, Peak emergence window)

Beyond the hatch · worth watchingambient prey(1)

Hatch predictions

Supporters see what else is on the menu.

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Evidence
Records-basedModerate confidence

Based on species-occurrence records, not local invertebrate surveys.

Through the year
0–3 scale · September highlighted
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Trout seasonSeason
1
2
2
2
1
Brown DunHatch
2
3
3
3
3
3
3
2
Western Green DrakeHatch
2
2
Flav (Small Western Green Drake)Hatch
2
3
2
Mahogany DunHatch
2
2

Numbers are intensity 0 (none) to 3 (peak) — a guide, not a guarantee.

Permits & access
Permit required — see local rules.
  • Reach-specific gear/harvest rules; bull trout zero limit
  • Verify current Alberta regs (Zone ES1).
What's coming
Plan ahead
5-day outlook
Other water nearby · 2
Fallentimber Creek
6.0 km
Brown trout
North Raven River (Stauffer Creek)
28 km
Brown trout · Brook trout
Gallery · 2
  1. Red Deer River (upper, near Sundre) — Red Deer River [EXPLORED]
    Red Deer River [EXPLORED]
  2. Terrain map of the venue
    Terrain map
Conservation note

Wild brown and rainbow trout; bull trout (char, zero limit) and mountain whitefish present (whitefish prose-only, no engine slug). Cutthroat higher in the system. Whirling disease present in the Red Deer basin — Clean-Drain-Dry.

The full read · show the working · for Bull Trout · confidence 75%
How the 78 is built — score × weight = contribution
Temperature100 × 28%28.0
Flow80 × 22%17.6
Clarity85 × 18%15.3
Feeding Time50 × 13%6.5
Pressure75 × 7%5.3
Insect activity46 × 12%5.5
Conditions total= 78
Can you trust it?
Water temperatureair-to-water estimateestimated
Level / flowon-river gaugeobserved
Prey activitymodelled from regional profilemodelled
What would change the calculation
The dawn and dusk windows score higher than the midday lull.
Directions
Apple MapsGoogle Maps
Seasons & zones
  • Trout 16 June → 31 October
Related guides
Euro Nymphingsubsurface methods
Booking & contacts