Angler Co-operation Required in Crawling Valley
ALBERTA - Anglers are asked not to keep walleye caught from the inlet canal to the Crawling Valley reservoir in southern Alberta. Regulations in place are meant to allow the walleye population to grow from stocking in the 1990s.
An omission in the 2003 Alberta Guide to Sportfishing Regulations may lead some people to believe that the zero limit for walleye in the inlet canal has changed. This is not so. The inlet canal to Crawling Valley reservoir continues to have a zero limit for walleye (catch and release).
Crawling Valley reservoir is located immediately northeast of Bassano, approximately 50 kilometres northwest of Brooks. The zero limit for walleye applies to the inlet canal, from Little Dam (3-21-18-W4) downstream to the reservoir entrance (NE 11-22-18-W4). The reservoir itself also has a zero limit for walleye.
Angling regulations in effect for the inlet canal from June 1, 2003 - March 15, 2004 allow for: walleye limit 0; pike limit 3 over 63 centimetres; perch limit 15; lake whitefish limit 10; and burbot limit 10. Fishing is not permitted from March 16 to May 31. Anglers should check the 2003 Alberta Guide to Sportfishing Regulations for other regulations that may apply.
Fish and Wildlife Division staff with Alberta Sustainable Resource Development are posting signs in the area and taking other measures to ensure anglers know about the zero limit for walleye. Fish and wildlife officers will continue to monitor angling in the vicinity.
Alberta relies on the cooperation of the angling public to follow regulations put in place for conservation of provincial fish populations. The walleye population in and around Crawling Valley reservoir is seen to have good potential for a future fishery. For the 2003/04 season, there are several opportunities for walleye harvest elsewhere in the province and these are described in the 2003 Alberta Guide to Sportfishing Regulations.
Contact:
Trevor Rhodes
Head, Fisheries Management Southeast Region
Fish and Wildlife Division
Alberta Sustainable Resource Development
Strathmore, (403) 934-3422
