Freestone · Limestone · Alberta

Livingstone River

Livingstone River venue image
Google Places

The Livingstone is small, clear cutthroat water off the Livingstone Range — pockets and plunge pools full of willing native westslope cutthroat, with bull trout holding in the better runs.

Species

Closed season

Season reopens 16 June. Plenty of other water available now.

Closed — confidence not applicable today.
Water temperature for bull trout
Ideal
8°C est.ideal 612°C
0°14°28°
The full read · show the working · for bull trout · confidence 75%
How the 0 is built — score × weight = contribution
Temperature100 × 28%28.0
Flow80 × 22%17.6
Clarity95 × 18%17.1
Feeding Time20 × 13%2.6
Pressure75 × 7%5.3
Insect activity53 × 12%6.4
Conditions total= 77
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.
Conditions
Regional est.
Level
Dry recently
No gauge reading
Water temp
7.7°C
Estimated
Clarity
Clear
Air temp
2°C
Wind
N 9 km/h
Light breeze
Pressure
1017 hPa
Rain · 48h
0.2 mm
No meaningful rain
Rain · ahead
0.1 mm
No meaningful rain · next 48h

No gauge on this water — readings are regional estimates from weather, not a live gauge.

Hatch timeline · todayQuiet day

Hatch predictions

Today's headline hatch shown — see all 4 active hatches hour by hour with Pro.

Start free trial

14-day free trial. Cancel anytime.

Evidence
ModelledModerate confidence

Modelled from regional ecology — no survey or occurrence data for this water yet.

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

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

Gallery · 1
  1. Terrain map of the venue
    Terrain map
Permits & access
Permit required — see local rules.
  • Native-trout C&R, bait bans, spawning closure, bull trout zero limit
  • Verify current Alberta regs (Zone ES2).
Directions
About this water

The Livingstone is small, clear cutthroat water off the Livingstone Range — pockets and plunge pools full of willing native westslope cutthroat, with bull trout holding in the better runs. It's intimate, wadeable and gorgeous, the kind of stream where a single dry fly and a careful approach is all you need. Late June through October, catch-and-release, handled with care.

Under the surface

The Livingstone is a small, beautiful Oldman tributary running off its namesake range — intimate freestone water of clear pockets and plunge pools holding native westslope cutthroat and bull trout. Easily waded, roadside in places, it's classic small-stream cutthroat fishing in a spectacular foothills setting, and like all the native headwaters it's recovery water to be fished gently.

Wading: Swift cold pockets, remote stretches

  • Limestone
  • Confined
  • Pocket water
  • Step pool
Seasons & zones
  • Trout16 June → 31 October
Other water nearby · 3
Related guides