British Columbia

Kootenay Lake

British Columbia·West Kootenay·49.46° N, 116.80° W

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Solunar · next 7 days

About Kootenay Lake

Kootenay Lake is a long, deep trench between the Selkirk and Purcell ranges, about 104 km from the Duncan River mouth at Lardeau down to the Kootenay River delta near Creston, with a 35 km West Arm that runs past Nelson to Corra Linn Dam. The main lake averages about 45 m deep and drops to about 150 m. It is famous for the Gerrard rainbow, a giant strain of rainbow trout that grows on kokanee in open water and spawns only in the Lardeau River, at the outlet of Trout Lake. Bull trout share the same food and the same water. The lake supports more than 40,000 angler days a year, and most of that fishing is from boats over open water, where the trout hunt kokanee.

The lake is not what it was a decade ago, and the rules say so. The kokanee collapsed in the mid-2010s, and the province judged that too many rainbows and bull trout were eating what was left. Since 2015 it has closed kokanee harvest on the main lake, stocked kokanee eggs and fry, added nutrients to the North and South arms, rewarded anglers for keeping trout, and netted spawning Gerrards. The trout you catch now are mostly mid-sized: in the 2023 angler events, rainbows averaged about 44 cm and bull trout about 52 cm. A big Gerrard is still possible, and the main body lets you keep 10 rainbows a day of any size, with a Conservation Surcharge Stamp needed for any over 50 cm.

For a fly angler the lake is big water. Off the main body, sinking lines and streamers fished deep from a boat are the way in. The West Arm is a different place: shallow, about 10 m on average, slow-moving like a river, and close to Nelson, with kokanee spawning up Kokanee and Redfish creeks and along the gravel shore from Harrop to Six Mile. The Duncan mouth at the north end is where every Gerrard passes on its way to and from the Lardeau. Wind can build fast on a lake this long, so watch the forecast and the wind chart, and bring a boat that suits big water. Launches are at Nelson, Kokanee Creek Provincial Park, Kootenay Bay, Riondel, Kaslo and Lardeau. Clean, drain and dry your boat, and stop at every invasive mussel inspection station.

Species

Rainbow Trout
Primary · Year-round · 35-55 cm, Gerrards to 80 cm+
The Gerrard strain grows on kokanee and spawns only in the Lardeau River, at the Trout Lake outlet, in spring. In the 2023 angler incentive events rainbows ran from 14 to 80 cm and averaged about 44 cm. Main body daily quota 10, any size. A Conservation Surcharge Stamp is needed to keep one over 50 cm, with an annual quota of 20.
Bull Trout
Common · Year-round · 40-70 cm
Native char that eat kokanee in open water and spawn up tributaries such as the Kaslo River in the fall. In the 2023 angler events they averaged about 52 cm. Main body daily quota 1.
Kokanee Salmon
Common · Apr-Jul · 20-30 cm
The food of the big trout. Main body kokanee quota is 0 while they recover. The West Arm opens to a small harvest on a few days only.

Species	Abundance	Best Season	Size
Rainbow Trout	Primary	Year-round	35-55 cm, Gerrards to 80 cm+
Bull Trout	Common	Year-round	40-70 cm
Kokanee Salmon	Common	Apr-Jul	20-30 cm

Areas

6 areas

North end and the Duncan mouth

Shore & BoatIntermediateSalmon · Bull Trout · Rainbow Trout

The head of the lake, where the Duncan River comes in with the water of the Lardeau. Every Gerrard rainbow passes here on its way to and from the spawning grounds at Gerrard, and the north-end kokanee gather off the mouth before they run up to Meadow Creek and the Lardeau in late summer.

Best for: Rainbow trout and bull trout that follow the kokanee toward the Duncan mouth, in spring and late summer

Kaslo and the North Arm

BoatAdvancedSalmon · Bull Trout · Rainbow Trout

The long North Arm off Kaslo, deep water close to shore. The province adds nutrients to this arm each spring and summer, between Bulmer and Campbell creeks, to feed the kokanee. Bull trout spawn up the Kaslo River in the fall.

Best for: Rainbow trout and bull trout over deep water, trolled or on sinking lines, and bull trout off the Kaslo River mouth in fall

Main body, Riondel to Balfour

BoatAdvancedSalmon · Bull Trout · Rainbow Trout

The widest, deepest part of the lake, from Riondel and Pilot Bay down to the ferry crossing at Balfour and Kootenay Bay. The lake drops to about 150 m. This is open-water Gerrard country, where the big rainbows and bull trout hunt kokanee far from shore.

Best for: Gerrard rainbow trout and bull trout in open water, from a boat

Upper West Arm

Shore & BoatIntermediateSalmon · Rainbow Trout

From Balfour west past Harrop and Kokanee Creek Provincial Park to McDonalds Landing (Six Mile). The arm is shallow, about 10 m on average, and the water moves through it like a slow river. Kokanee spawn up Kokanee and Redfish creeks, and a separate shore-spawning stock uses the gravel from Six Mile to Harrop. Its own rules: rainbow trout catch and release from January 1 to May 31, and kokanee kept only on five days a year.

Best for: Rainbow trout on streamers and nymphs near the creek mouths, and a short kokanee season

Lower West Arm

Shore & BoatBeginnerSalmon · Bull Trout · Rainbow Trout

From Six Mile down past Nelson to Corra Linn Dam. Narrow and slow, with the city's waterfront in the middle. Trout and char quota 2, only 1 bull trout, and kokanee may be kept only on weekends.

Best for: Rainbow trout close to Nelson, from shore or a small boat, and weekend kokanee

South Arm

BoatAdvancedBull Trout · Rainbow Trout

The long arm south of Crawford Bay, past Gray Creek, Lockhart Beach and Boswell to the Kootenay River delta near Creston. The province adds nitrogen here too, between Wilson and Akokli creeks. Fewer boats than the main body.

Best for: Rainbow trout and bull trout over deep water, trolled or on sinking lines

Access

Lardeau launchBoat ramp
Launch at Lardeau, at the head of the lake near the Duncan mouth.
Highway 31 launch, north of KasloBoat ramp
Launch off Highway 31 on the west shore, south of Lardeau.
Kaslo Bay launchBoat ramp
Public launch at Kaslo Bay Park, with marinas beside it. Kaslo has fuel, food and lodging.
Woodbury Resort & MarinaMarina
Resort marina and campground on the west shore, south of Kaslo.
Riondel launch and boat clubMarina
Launch and boat club marina at Riondel, on the east shore of the main body.
Pilot Bay Road launchBoat ramp
Launch off Pilot Bay Road at Kootenay Bay, near the ferry landing.
Kokanee Creek Provincial ParkBoat ramp
Boat launch on the Upper West Arm, in a BC Parks park with a campground, about 20 minutes from Nelson.
Nichawa Road launchBoat ramp
Launch on the north shore of the Lower West Arm, across from Nelson.
Nelson waterfront marinaMarina
Marina beside Lakeside Park on the Nelson waterfront.
Lockhart Beach CampgroundCampground
BC Parks campground on the east shore of the South Arm, on Highway 3A.

At a glance

Ideal water temp: 9–17°C

Best seasons

Open all year, and big lakes like this fish through the seasons. Spring brings Gerrards toward the Duncan mouth on their way to spawn, and the kokanee gather at the north end in late summer before their run. The Upper West Arm's own rainbow catch and release runs from January 1 to May 31. Surface water between about 9 and 17 °C (48 and 62 °F) suits the trout. In midsummer they hold deeper, below the warm surface layer.

Regulations

Kootenay Lake has three parts in the Region 4 (Kootenay) tables. The main body: 10 rainbow trout a day of any size, 1 bull trout, no kokanee, and a Conservation Surcharge Stamp to keep a rainbow over 50 cm, with an annual quota of 20. The Upper West Arm: rainbow trout catch and release January 1 to May 31, and 2 trout or char a day. The Lower West Arm: 2 trout or char a day, and kokanee on weekends only. The province warns that recovery may bring in-season changes.

All parts: burbot catch and release. Bass and yellow perch daily quota unlimited.
Main body (east of a line between Balfour Point and the Procter Lighthouse): kokanee daily quota 0. Bull trout daily quota 1. Rainbow trout daily quota 10, any size. A person in a boat may angle with any number of rods (new in 2025-2027).
Main body: a Conservation Surcharge Stamp is required to keep a rainbow trout over 50 cm, and the annual quota for those is 20 per licence year.
Upper West Arm (Balfour Point to McDonalds Landing, Six Mile): rainbow trout catch and release January 1 to May 31. Trout and char daily quota 2, only 1 bull trout. Kokanee catch and release, except April 1 to 3 and July 1 to 2, when the kokanee quota is 5.
Lower West Arm (Six Mile to Corra Linn Dam): trout and char daily quota 2, only 1 bull trout. Kokanee daily quota 5 on Saturdays and Sundays only, catch and release on weekdays. The two West Arm kokanee quotas combined cannot exceed 5.
Kootenay Lake's tributaries: bull trout catch and release, unless a stream's own entry says otherwise. Region 4 streams close April 1 to June 14 unless their entry exempts them, and need a single barbless hook all year.
White sturgeon: no fishing, all of Region 4.
Anglers 16 and older need a BC basic freshwater angling licence, sold through the province's WILD system.

The Region 4 page says Kootenay Lake recovery may require in-season changes, so check gov.bc.ca/FishingRegulations and the Region 4 Kootenay Lake bulletins before a trip. A permit is required to fish inside the Creston Valley Wildlife Management Area at the south end. Report any lake trout you catch to the regional office: they are not native here.

Source: BC Freshwater Fishing Regulations Synopsis 2025–2027, Region 4 (Kootenay). Regulations change annually. Verify before fishing.

Getting there

Nelson, BC

Nelson sits on the West Arm. About 1 hr 15 min from Nelson to Kaslo, 1 hr 45 min from Creston to Nelson, 3.5 hrs from Spokane, WA, 8 hrs from Calgary and 9 hrs from Vancouver

Camping: Kokanee Creek Provincial Park on the West Arm and Lockhart Beach Provincial Park on the South Arm have BC Parks campgrounds. Nelson, Kaslo, Balfour and Crawford Bay have motels, resorts and cabins.

The free Kootenay Lake ferry crosses between Balfour and Kootenay Bay all year. Highway 31 runs up the west shore from Balfour to Kaslo and Lardeau, and Highway 3A down the east shore from Kootenay Bay to Creston.