The Story Of The Armit River

Armit River

Introduction

Set in the Porcupine Hills of east-central Saskatchewan, not far from the Manitoba border, the Armit River flows through rugged terrain that surprises many first-time visitors. Where most of Saskatchewan is stereotyped as open prairies or farmland, the Porcupine Hills present forested slopes, rolling elevations, and narrow valleys. In some stretches, the Armit River’s setting is quiet enough to suggest a true wilderness experience—one in which a traveler might almost sense the ghost of the plains grizzly that once roamed these parts, before going extinct in the province by the late 1800s.

This quiet setting has drawn the attention of Saskatchewan and Manitoba fishery managers for over six decades. Through a series of fish-stocking programs, they have sought to transform the Armit into a viable cold-water trout stream. At various points since 1958, the river has received brook trout, brown trout, and Fine Spotted cutthroat trout. Though the trout population today remains modest, the Armit continues to offer a remote and rewarding angling experience in one of Saskatchewan’s most scenic corners.

The Landscape of the Porcupine Hills

The Porcupine Hills are a lesser-known upland region that runs along the Manitoba Escarpment. Unlike the open prairie to the south and west, this area features elevated terrain, dense coniferous forest, and spring-fed creeks that carve through deep ravines. The hills collect more snow and rain than surrounding regions, feeding small watercourses like the Armit with relatively cold, clear water.

This geography supports species and ecosystems uncommon elsewhere in the province. Visitors here often remark that it feels like stepping into another part of the country—there’s a sense of quiet remoteness that you don’t find in more developed or intensively farmed zones.

Armit River Trout-Stocking History: (1958–2024)

Brook Trout (1958–2024)

The first recorded stocking in the Armit occurred on August 5, 1958, with the release of 10,000 brook trout fingerlings. This early effort marks the beginning of the Armit’s transformation into a cold-water fishery. Over the next several decades, brook trout remained the core species stocked in the river.

Between the 1970s and 1990s, at least 12 additional brook trout releases were recorded, ranging from 2,000 to 11,000 fingerlings per event. These stockings helped establish a presence that, while never extremely dense, naturalized in the cooler deeper stretches of the river.

After a long gap in documented activity, brook trout stocking resumed in 2020, with consistent releases continuing annually through 2024. Recent numbers typically range between 5,000 and 7,000 fingerlings per year.

Fine Spotted cutthroat Trout (1991–1993)

From 1991 to 1993, fisheries managers introduced Fine Spotted cutthroat trout to the Armit, releasing over 32,000 fingerlings across three consecutive years. This initiative was likely designed to test whether cutthroat could establish alongside or in place of brook trout.

Despite early excitement and scattered reports of cutthroat catches in the years that followed, there are no official records of continued stocking beyond 1993, and no confirmed catch data have emerged in decades. While rumours of large cutthroat from the past persist among some long-time anglers, they remain anecdotal.

Brown Trout (2020–2024)

The brown trout first appear in the modern stocking records starting in 2020, coinciding with the renewed brook trout efforts. Since then, they have been introduced in similar quantities (typically 7,000 fingerlings per year) in alternating years. Their addition may reflect a strategy to diversify the fishery and expand trout survival across a wider range of habitat types within the system.

Armit River Access

Recreation Site (Highway 3)

The most accessible point on the Armit is where it crosses Highway 3, near the Manitoba border. Here, the Armit River Recreation Site offers a basic campground with minimal amenities. It is the easiest option for anglers arriving by vehicle and provides direct walk-in access to the river’s edge.

Logging Roads and Remote Trails

Deeper sections of the river can be reached via gravel forestry roads and overgrown logging spurs that wind through the Porcupine Hills. These trails are passable in dry conditions with high-clearance 4x4 vehicles, though some routes may be seasonally washed out or difficult to follow. ATVs and snowmobiles are commonly used by hunters, trappers, and the occasional backcountry angler seeking more solitude.

Hiking off-trail in this region is also possible, but dense forest, variable elevation, and frequent beaver ponds make route-finding a challenge. Visitors are encouraged to carry maps, GPS, and sufficient supplies for backcountry travel.

A Modest Fishery in a Wild Setting

The Armit River has never been known for producing high catch rates. Even after tens of thousands of fingerlings were introduced over the decades, the river continues to offer low trout-per-mile densities compared to other managed systems. This may be due to a combination of natural stream limitations, uneven stocking history, and selective harvest of larger trout.

But what the Armit lacks in numbers, it makes up for in setting. Anglers come not for a guaranteed limit, but for the chance to hook a colored brook or brown trout in a wild- stream; the opportunity to camp in solitude beside clear, cold water and the experience of being deep in forested terrain, with no signs of development in sight

For those who value scenery and adventure over convenience, the Armit delivers a kind of fishing that’s increasingly rare in central Saskatchewan.

Going forward

The future of the Armit River fishery will depend not on expansion, but refinement. Brook trout have demonstrated an ability to persist in this system, supported by regular supplemental stocking. Their compatibility with the river’s size, temperature profile, and hydrology makes them a logical focus for continued management.

That said, the historical introduction of Snake River cutthroat trout remains an unresolved chapter. While their initial failure is attributed to over-harvest and inconsistent stocking, it’s unclear whether the Armit's carrying capacity—or angler pressure—could realistically support a sustainable cutthroat population without targeted regulation. If that reintroduction were to be reconsidered, it would require a long-term strategy rooted in biological assessment, not nostalgia.

Rather than treating the Armit as an underperforming fishery, it may be more productive to define its value in terms of its limitations: a remote, lightly fished stream capable of supporting modest but stable trout populations. Whether that future is centered on brook trout alone, or includes a second species, should be guided by monitoring, management capacity, and clear ecological rationale.

Prepared by: Mitchell Jones - April 3rd, 2025

References

Government of Saskatchewan, Fisheries Branch. (1958–2024). Armit River fish stocking records [Unpublished internal data].

Saskatchewan Ministry of Environment. (2023). Saskatchewan anglers’ guide 2023–2025. Government of Saskatchewan. https://www.saskatchewan.ca

Manitoba Natural Resources and Northern Development. (2024). Manitoba anglers’ guide 2024. Government of Manitoba. https://gov.mb.ca/nrnd/fishing

Hudson Bay & District Cultural Society. (2022). Tourism and outdoor recreation in the Porcupine Hills. Town of Hudson Bay.

Natural Resources Canada. (2010). Manitoba escarpment and Porcupine Hills topography [Map]. Geological Survey of Canada. https://www.nrcan.gc.ca

Banfield, A. W. F. (1974). The mammals of Canada. University of Toronto Press.

Parks Canada. (n.d.). Species at risk public registry: Grizzly bear (prairie population). Government of Canada. https://species-at-risk.canada.ca