 Rainbow Trout, Richard Lewis photo Catch and release is strongly encouraged. Boat rentals are available. Fishing can also be done from the shore.
A word or two on your excursion:
- Appropriate fishing license(s) required
A word or two on safety:
- Life jackets are mandatory in BC
Kootenay Lake
Bordered by the Selkirk and Purcell Mountains, Kootenay Lake is one of the largest inland lakes in BC. If you value seclusion, you'll find this lake - close to 144 km (90 mi) long and up to 152 m (500 ft) deep - a fishing paradise. Looking out over the water, you may be the only person visible across the lake's vast expanse.
Kootenay Lake is teeming with fully matured Gerrard rainbow trout as well as kokanee, cutthroat and bull trout, burbot and largemouth bass. Fish congregate in the bays and creek mouths of the lake's North Arm, while the deep waters and sheltered inlet of the South Arm's Crawford Bay attract monster Gerrard rainbow trout. The southern portion of the lake is the only place that you will find cutthroat trout.
The shallower West Arm is a 35-km (22-mi) stretch that runs from Balfour to Nelson. It is the most developed stretch of the lake. As a result of an extensive stocking and fertilization program, fishing for kokanee and big trout, especially in Balfour, is excellent here.
Arrow Lakes
The man-made Upper and Lower Arrow Lakes are situated on the Columbia River between the Selkirk and Monashee Mountains. Both are populated with rainbow and bull trout, whitefish, burbot, and kokanee as well as the great Gerrard rainbow trout, which grows to 8 kg (20 lb).
Lower Arrow Lake is the less developed of the two. It covers 16,389 ha (40,498 ac) and has few access points. Upper Arrow Lake is 22,648 ha (55,964 ac) and features highway access along its entire length.
Both lakes are narrow. Some rocky headlands and steep cliffs flank the shorelines, giving way to forested mountainsides. Due to their low elevation, the lakes are subject to significant drawdown in the summer months, may have considerable debris and do get windy.
Columbia River
Considered one of the great rivers of Canada, the Columbia River weaves its way from deep in the Kootenay Rockies across much of southeastern BC. Anglers fish for rainbow and bull trout as well as some Rocky Mountain whitefish in these waters.
Columbia River North, where the river connects the Upper Arrow Lake and Lake Revelstoke, is a great access point for bigger trout. Between Castlegar and the US border, Columbia River South offers some of the best river fishing in BC. Due to the high volume of the river, however, patience is sometimes needed.
You'll find good highway access to the river throughout the Columbia Valley.
Kootenay River
Rainbow, cutthroat, burbot, kokanee, bass, whitefish and bull trout are just a few of the prize catches found in the Kootenay River.
Larger fish seem to predominate in the eastern section of the river. The river north of Canal Flats is fast-flowing and murky with excellent fly-fishing holes. The river south of Canal Flats is slower moving and warmer, with easy access. Good fishing can also be found in the southwestern section of the Kootenay River between Nelson and Castlegar.
The Kootenay River's headwaters begin in Kootenay National Park. The river flows south into the US, then turns north and re-enters Canada before merging with the Columbia River near Castlegar.
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