Scenic Views · Fishing · Alberta
Alberta's big prairie river, running from the Rockies through Edmonton's river valley. Popular for riverside walks, multi-day paddles and fishing, with walleye and sturgeon catch-and-release only.
The North Saskatchewan River starts at the Columbia Icefield and crosses Alberta through the foothills and parkland before cutting a deep, tree-lined valley through Edmonton. Most of its hundreds of reviews come from the city, where locals walk the banks on their lunch breaks and like the bridges, the wooded valley walls and the paddlewheel riverboat.
Edmonton's river valley park system runs along both banks, with trails, viewpoints and places to reach the water. Upstream, paddlers do multi-day trips; one reviewer floated from the Forestry Trunk Road bridge down to near Horburg over three days, camping on the gravel bars, and recommends it as a weekend trip.
The river is fished all year in the Edmonton area. Goldeye, northern pike, mountain whitefish and burbot are common, and walleye and sauger are there too, but Alberta's sportfishing regulations require you to release all walleye, sauger and lake sturgeon on this stretch. Upstream reaches near the mountains have a bait ban and a winter closure. Rules differ by reach, so check the current regulations for where you're fishing.
Visitors warn about mosquitoes and mud on the banks. The water is cold and fast, and levels can rise quickly after rain in the mountains, so check river conditions and wear a life jacket before heading out on the water.
Summarised from visitor reviews on Google Maps. Based on 732 Google reviews. Conditions and rules change — check current park, access and fishing regulations before you go.
