Fishing on Kootenay Lake

Kootenay Lake’s biggest and most storied fish is the Gerrard rainbow trout. Gerrard rainbow trout are named for Gerrard, a small community at the head of the Lardeau River, which flows into Kootenay Lake. Kootenay Lake was long renowned for trophy-sized Gerrard rainbow trout, historically "renowned for their massive size – frequently exceeding nine kilograms (20 pounds)." Genetic testing confirms the lake's rainbow trout are still the same Gerrard strain, but their average size has shrunk since the lake's kokanee population collapsed in 2013 and Gerrard trout shifted to feeding on mysid shrimp instead.

Verified on 2026-09-22 against the Freshwater Fisheries Society of BC.

The current Region 4 regulations synopsis lists rainbow trout, bull trout (Dolly Varden), kokanee, whitefish, burbot, bass and yellow perch for Kootenay Lake. Walleye is not on that list. Species named in the Region 4 regulations for Kootenay Lake specifically.

Source: page 37 of the Region 4 Kootenay regulations PDF, the 2025-2027 edition. Verified 2026-09-22.

The current edition is the "2025-2027 BC Freshwater Fishing Regulations Synopsis." "Check website for in-season changes or closure dates for the 2025-2027 season at www.gov.bc.ca/FishingRegulations."

Region 4's baseline daily quotas, before the Kootenay Lake-specific exceptions below: trout/char 5 (not more than 1 rainbow or cutthroat trout over 50 cm, 2 from streams, 1 bull trout/Dolly Varden of any size); kokanee 15 (none from streams, no more than 5 over 30 cm); whitefish 15 (all species combined); burbot 2.

Source: page 34 of the Region 4 Kootenay regulations PDF. Verified 2026-09-22.

Kootenay Lake, all parts

Kootenay Lake, all parts (Main Body, Upper West Arm, Lower West Arm): burbot catch and release; bass daily quota unlimited; yellow perch daily quota unlimited.

Source: page 37 of the same PDF. Verified 2026-09-22.

Main Body

Source: page 37 of the same PDF. Verified 2026-09-22.

Upper and Lower West Arm

Upper West Arm: rainbow trout catch and release Jan 1-May 31; trout/char daily quota = 2 (only 1 bull trout); kokanee catch and release except Apr 1-Apr 3 and Jul 1-Jul 2, when daily quota = 5. Lower West Arm: trout/char daily quota = 2 (only 1 bull trout); kokanee daily quota = 5 but only Saturday and Sunday, catch and release Monday through Friday. The combined kokanee daily quota across the Upper and Lower West Arm together cannot exceed 5.

Source: page 37 of the same PDF. Verified 2026-09-22.

Tributaries

Kootenay Lake's tributaries: bull trout catch and release. Does not include the Kootenay River upstream from Kootenay Lake to the U.S. border near Creston, which has its own rules.

Source: page 37 of the same PDF. Verified 2026-09-22.

Anyone fishing Kootenay Lake needs a valid BC freshwater fishing licence. The province's own "Buy fishing and hunting licences" page; online purchase goes through the WILD system and needs an FWID.

Buy or renew a licence at the province’s own site. Verified 2026-09-22.

Rainbow trout and bull trout sit at different depths depending on the season. Go Fish BC's own guidance for the lake: rainbow trout run "often right near the surface from autumn through to late spring," but "in the heat of summer, rainbow will be pushed downward to more preferred temperatures." Bull trout "are typically found deeper in the water column (to depths of about 30 metres, or 100 feet)" year-round. Finding the right depth for summer rainbow or bull trout takes a fishfinder and a downrigger to get a lure down to them.

Verified on 2026-09-22 against Go Fish BC’s own guide to this lake.

This site’s boat-rental data file carries no operator flagged as a fishing charter or guide service, and none of their notes mention a chartered fishing trip either. A dedicated charter and guide directory is planned for a later phase of this site.

See boat rentals on Kootenay Lake for the general rental operators this site does track today.

This site runs no fishing-report feed for Kootenay Lake, and none of the boat-rental operators in its data file publish one either, so nothing here can be shown as today’s bite. See the province’s fishing regulations page while you plan a trip.

The Queens Bay gauge reads 531.34 m, read 40 min ago. See water level for the full day of readings.