River · Alberta, Canada

Athabasca River

Nobody has written the description yet. It is one of the first things worth adding.

Current conditions

The flow against the date, the week's weather and the latest member readings. Open the detail for the working.

Reading the gauge…

Today MondayA mix of sun and cloudlow 4°high 23°
Tue TuesdayClearing in the morninglow 6°high 18°
Wed WednesdayA mix of sun and cloudlow 2°high 15°
Thu ThursdayA mix of sun and cloudlow 4°high 13°
Fri FridayCloudy60% chance of precipitationlow 2°high 11°
Sat SaturdayA mix of sun and cloudlow 0°high 13°
Sun SundayA mix of sun and cloudno lowhigh 13°

Environment and Climate Change Canada forecast for Whitecourt, opens in a new tab, 33 km from this water's pin. A river runs through more weather than one town has.

More on current conditionsthe date's context, the station, flow through the year and the full forecast

The air, right now

Wind: 13km/h; from the south, gusting to 27
Air: 23.1°C
Sky: Mostly Cloudy
Observed: 20:00 UTCWhitecourt Airport

Issued 2026-09-21 20:01 UTC · Whitecourt, opens in a new tab

The forecast, in the service's words

Today. A mix of sun and cloud. High 23. UV index 4 or moderate.
Tonight. Partly cloudy. Low plus 4 with risk of frost.
Tuesday. Clearing in the morning. High 18. UV index 3 or moderate.
Tuesday night. Clear. Low 6.
Wednesday. A mix of sun and cloud. High 15.
Wednesday night. Cloudy periods with 60 percent chance of showers. Low plus 2.

Reading the gauge…

When to go

Daylight & forecast

Choose a date for daylight, weather and seasonal rules.

Plan your day →

Hatches & flies

What has hatched here, month by month, out of members’ reports.

See seasonal notes →

Water guide

What swims here, what to know before you go, and the province's rules in its own words.

Where it is

AlbertaAthabasca River watershedMajor river · Athabasca basin

Find it on the map

Before you go

No fire order over this water's pin. Checked 2026-09-21. Coverage varies by jurisdiction. Check the fire-ban map, opens in a new tab for your planned stretch.

Reading the fire-ban system…

Whirling disease. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency declared the Athabasca River watershed infected on 13 May 2026 (sub-watershed 7A only).

Clean, drain and dry your watercraft and any equipment that has been in contact with water, completely, between trips.
Never move live or dead fish or fish parts from one waterbody to another. This is illegal in Alberta, and so is using live fish as bait.

The province on whirling disease, opens in a new tab · Clean, drain, dry, opens in a new tab · The CFIA's declarations, opens in a new tab

Regulations

The province lists this water, in the Athabasca River above Freeman River watershed.

Mainstem between Sec. Rd. 658 (near Whitecourt) downstream to Sec. Rd. 813 (near Athabasca). ES3/NB1/NB2/NB4

Seasons, bait rule and limits for Mainstem between Sec. Rd. 658 (near Whitecourt) downstream to Sec. Rd. 813 (near Athabasca).
Season	Bait	Limits, per angler
OPEN JUN. 1 - OCT. 31	Bait allowed	10 burbot 10 goldeye 5 mountain whitefish over 30 cm 3 northern pike over 63 cm 3 walleye over 50 cm

Upstream of Sec. Rd. 658 (near Whitecourt) to Jasper National Park Boundary mainstem river only (including Brule Lake). ES3/NB1/NB2/NB4

Seasons, bait rule and limits for Upstream of Sec. Rd. 658 (near Whitecourt) to Jasper National Park Boundary mainstem river only (including Brule Lake).
Season	Bait	Limits, per angler
OPEN APR. 1 - AUG. 31	Bait ban	2 brook trout 0 burbot 0 goldeye 5 mountain whitefish over 30 cm 0 northern pike 0 rainbow trout 0 walleye
OPEN SEPT. 1 - OCT. 31	Bait ban	0 brook trout 0 burbot 0 goldeye 5 mountain whitefish over 30 cm 0 northern pike 0 rainbow trout 0 walleye

Mainstem in NB4 (downstream of Pelican River) ES3/NB1/NB2/NB4

Seasons, bait rule and limits for Mainstem in NB4 (downstream of Pelican River)
Season	Bait	Limits, per angler
OPEN APR. 1 - MAY 31	Bait allowed	10 burbot 10 goldeye 5 mountain whitefish over 30 cm 3 northern pike over 63 cm 0 walleye
OPEN JUN. 1 - MAR. 31	Bait allowed	10 burbot 10 goldeye 5 mountain whitefish over 30 cm 3 northern pike over 63 cm 3 walleye over 43 cm

Mainstem from Sec. Rd. 813 (near Athabasca) and the north boundary of Township 78 (near Pelican River). ES3/NB1/NB2/NB4

Seasons, bait rule and limits for Mainstem from Sec. Rd. 813 (near Athabasca) and the north boundary of Township 78 (near Pelican River).
Season	Bait	Limits, per angler
OPEN JUN. 1 - OCT. 31	Bait allowed	10 burbot 10 goldeye 5 mountain whitefish over 30 cm 3 northern pike over 63 cm 3 walleye over 50 cm

A limit of 0 means catch and release. Limits are per angler, in the province's words. Alberta Guide to Sportfishing Regulations, read from the province's regulation service 2026-09-21. The province's regulations map, opens in a new tab.

Reading the official regulations…

Nobody has written the plain-English summary for this water yet.

The official regulations, opens in a new tab

Regulations change. Check the official source before you go.

Reports

File one

Nobody has filed one yet. Twenty reports give this water a month-by-month record of what has worked, and the first one is what brings the second.

Reading the reports…

Counting the flies and what was on the water…

Threads about Athabasca River

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