Sturgeon Fishing in High or flood water conditions on the Fraser River
Some of our BEST Sturgeon fishing has been in high water!
People have many questions about Sturgeon fishing in high water, cold water, warm water, low water and so on. People even ask us if rain makes Sturgeon fishing poor. For the later question we just tell people “the fish are already wet, why would they care about rain?” But let’s get to the point here of the Fraser River flooding, or at least the media and other sources are keeping very busy with the hype of a Fraser River flood. Yes the Fraser is quite high at the moment. But we have seen it higher. About 3 feet higher in fact. I believe that was 2012. We are concerned and feel for those riverside residents who are struggling with flooding basements and properties but we truly believe a catastrophic flood is just not in the cards.
We’ve personally seen several alerts just like this one over the past 3 decades and although 2018 might pose a slightly higher risk, we are quite confident that it will probably just be a foot or 2 at the most higher than 2012. We’ll keep our fingers crossed.
Fraser River at Mission boat launch May 18, 1PM
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How are Sturgeon affected by the Fraser flooding?
White Sturgeon are truly amazing prehistoric creatures. They are extremely powerful and perfectly designed to withstand strong river currents. They will be going about their business as usual during the high Fraser River flow conditions. They will be hungry as usual. They will swim around like always. They will be seen jumping out in the fast deep sections of the Fraser as if it’s an amusement park. The reality is there’s just a bigger swimming pool.
We like to think of it like this: If fish need water why would extra water be a concern for them?
How are Sturgeon Charters affected by a Fraser River Flood?
A very good question for those wondering if they are wasting their money on a charter. The major factor in fishing above average river flow conditions on the Fraser River is reduced locations for targetting White Sturgeon. This is due to the main channel areas having debris and also current speeds too fast to keep our bait on the bottom. But in a river so massive that still leaves a lot of good places to fish! And we know where to find ’em.
Read: Best Time for Sturgeon Fishing the Fraser River
What isn’t likely to happen is a shore pic like the one below. This is because all the typical beaches we utilize for these great pics are 10 feet under water. But there is however some small potential in a few limited locations. We always try to achieve this but we will never put the health and safety of our clients or the fish at risk. So best to bring your camera and take lots of pics or even better some quality footage of that beast tail walking on the surface!
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- 9 ft plus Sturgeon May 2016
Safety on the Fraser River
We operate powerful custom welded aluminum jet boats. These are designed for big water and thus have absolutely no problem navigating the Fraser River from Hope to Maple Ridge, regardless of how high the water is. Our only concern is keeping a watchful eye on loose trees that come down river and could wedge up against the anchor line. This is why we keep a eagle eye on our surroundings. We’ve been doing this for a long time and it’s really not that bad for us. If we felt any concern for safety we would not be out there.
Having said that we do see the odd recreational boater with inadequate boats and motors, no life jackets, and overloaded boats that are inches from taking on water. This is how people die on the Fraser. Use your skulls and play smart.
Read our Article on Boating Safety on the Fraser River
Captain Brian Mack’s 21 foot Customweld jet boat
