Kootenay Lake BC

[Rdamours]

Going to do some fishing for some lunker rainbows and lakers this summer.

Any tips on good areas to concentrate on and boat lauches, etc.

[EZM]

If you are on the Balfour side there is a decent boat launch at the hotel. They charge $10 to launch. There are also a few other launches, gravel with no dock all around that area.

I found my best success just south out of the arm in the main lake (along the west shore). There is a 5-6 mile stretch in there that will not disappoint you.

Kokanees will eat a hot pink apex (small size) trailing a 1oz banana sinker or some cow bells.

Rainbows (and bulls) will hit apexes, lymans, hoochies trailed behind a flasher. My dipsy divers have been out-fishing my downriggers ..........

Favorite flasher is oil slick and favorite trailer is a green tiger shrimp hoochie with silver tinsel.

PM me if you need more details ...... I will be out there this summer a few times too.

I can take you out one morning if we are there at the same time......somewhere near each other.

[Bushmaster]

Now is the time to go for lunker rainbows...

[tacklerunner]

Now is the time to go for lunker rainbows...

Yup.

Lakers are really really really hard to catch in Kootenay Lake in the summer. But if you do hook into one... well you just might make the front page.

[DaveS]

I grew up in this area. No Lakers in here, just rainbows and bulls, or dollys as the locals call them. Also rumors of largemouths further south in the shallows. The bulls fight like a wet sock but man are they good eating (you were allowed 1 a day last time I fished here not sure about now).

EZM's advice will put you on to fish. My favorite is a silver lyman or jplug - gotta be 50-100 ft down if you are there during summer.

Around Kaslo can be good to, and then you could spend a day at Ainsworth Hot Springs which is one of the nicest in Canada IMO

[Rdamours]

Awesome. You guys rock. Restored a boat over the last couple of years and am just starting to have some fun with it.

Next summer is the summer of fishing. The locations and tips for lure selection are what makes a great rip even better :)

http://s674.beta.photobucket.com/user/sprintst_photos/library/1977%20Starcraft%20Holiday%2018%20redo

[Guitarplayingfish]

Get the chicken sandwich from the restaurant in Balfour (the one on the left as you are entering balfour from the ferry.) You won't be disappointed.

[EZM]

If you are in Balfour stop in at the Gill and Gift (the gas station / tackle shop) right by the ferry and the folks in there will give you the latest info on what's happening, at what depth, where etc.....

I run a black/purple lyman with silver flake, a rainbow lyman, perch pattern lyman and a few other colors for plugs.

I prefer tiger shrimp hoochies in the summer - green, black/white and pink are the best.

Apexes always produce - small hot pink, rainbow pattern and black/silver flake.

Troll 2.5 to 4 mph and you will probably be dragging one shallow 30ft for rainbows and kokanees and one deep down 80-120ft for bulls (dollys).

I have not dragged conventional spoons or conventional plugs like a rapala but I'd bet it would work as well....

[Rdamours]

Awesome. Odds are I can't miss with the tips. That chicken sandwitch sounds good as I was too busy to grab food today. I'll definitely do that as well.

[Walleyes]

I am thinking of starting to head out to this lake in the spring time I have read someplace that April can be productive. Can anyone shed some light on this.

[Pixel Shooter]

depends, alway find you cant go wrong the last 2 weeks of May, timing or how early will really depend on the run off or lack there of. Feb and May are my 2 favourite times to fish this lake, have never fished it in the fall, not that I wouldnt want to lol. Lots of great info on thread, myself I luv my lyman plugs especially ol blue, but my bucktails and planner boards will out produce any hardware for me atleast...spring time, never use my down riggers except for running my boards

I am thinking of starting to head out to this lake in the spring time I have read someplace that April can be productive. Can anyone shed some light on this.

[Bushmaster]

I had the opportunity to fish kootenay a couple times a long time ago with some guys who fished it hard. They thought that right now was the best time for big rainbows and proved it to me.....I caught a 26lb'er. We used Bill Norman plugs, hand painted, but nothing fancy.

[Walleyes]

Thx boys..

[bikerman]

Going to do some fishing for some lunker rainbows and lakers this summer.

Any tips on good areas to concentrate on and boat lauches, etc.

While you're downrigging, try flatlining 100m back with a polar bear hair streamer fly in white or white red, no weight at all, no leader. Use an 8-10 inch long fly. Lots of locals use this. It skips through the chop like a kokanee feeding on the surface. Caught a 17 pound rainbow this way. Troll 3 to 5 mph. Seems fast but it works. Good luck.

[tacklerunner]

Lots of great threads on Kootenay Lake on this forum if you use the search function.

[Speckle55]

here is a link

enjoy

my pic Avatar is some Kootenay Rainbows and a Bull

another Kootenay Rainbow pic in my Album just hit my name and look at album

David:)

http://kootenayangler.com/

[Rdamours]

Tons of awesome info. I have a 140 Mercruiser inboard so I'm going to have to buy a small kicker for trolling. 5 mph is about the slowest I could go unless I trolled in reverse.

I think I'll try in late May by myself and will go out in the summer with the family so I'll look to rent a house somewhere for a week as there is 5 of us.