lake okanagan vernon area info needed

[thorne]

Gonna need some advice on this area. Got the boat and gear...just need to know where to go and what to use! Any info would be appreciated! My son is totally looking forward to this trip so I don't want to dissapoint him by wasting days trolling in dead water....will be there mid july. Thanks!

[Dust1n]

lake okanogan is great for fishing. pics fruit during the day and fish all night.
theres 3 kinds of bass largies smallies and the occasional rock.
lots of catfish will provide great fighting in pitch black night.
poppers, chunks of baits are great for bass and catfish.

[Kingfisher]

PM coming your way Thorne.

Rob

[greywolffan]

lake okanogan is great for fishing. pics fruit during the day and fish all night.
theres 3 kinds of bass largies smallies and the occasional rock.
lots of catfish will provide great fighting in pitch black night.
poppers, chunks of baits are great for bass and catfish.

Catfish ? WOW. You sure about that post?

[greywolffan]

Gonna need some advice on this area. Got the boat and gear...just need to know where to go and what to use! Any info would be appreciated! My son is totally looking forward to this trip so I don't want to dissapoint him by wasting days trolling in dead water....will be there mid july. Thanks!

Lots of great lakes arounfd the area. Its hot there in July and I always went to the higher elevations. Around the Falkland area can be good such as Pinaus Lake . Beautiful place to fish. If you are with a small boat I would fish an area like that. Good luck

[Rob Miskosky]

Don't think you will find too many catfish in Okanagan Lake but there are suckers and squawfish. If there are bass there I have never caught one and I grew up on the shores of the lake on the Vernon end.

Spring and fall bucktailing will be your best bet for rainbows. If you go in the summer your best bet is to get out the downriggers. As far as area, from Fintry across to the Hole-in-the-Wall and not too far out from any rock structure or creek entry to the lake where Kokanee will be present should work. Having said that, I've caught trout downrigging quite far out from shore.

Several years ago the Kokanee population collapsed and with that went the trout population. Apparently the Kokanee population is back and doing real well and I'm told the rainbow fishing has improved considerably with some 20-plus pounders being caught this spring.

I will be out there in late June and will be hitting some of the old spots with the downriggers.

Good luck!

[TyreeUM]

ARC environmental did a consult on the lake, it does not appear there is any species of catfish or bullhead in there, but there are carp - maybe thats what he was referring to?

[Rob Miskosky]

ARC environmental did a consult on the lake, it does not appear there is any species of catfish or bullhead in there, but there are carp - maybe thats what he was referring to?

That's what I'm thinking.

[Guitarplayingfish]

About an hour to an hour and a half away from vernon is maybel lake. I camped there for a week a couple years ago and it was absolutely beautiful. Bite was slow, but when a rainbow was pulled out it was usually pretty big! I wish I had time to go back, I love that area!! Good luck fishin!

[Rob Miskosky]

Mabel is a good lake. In the fall when the salmon run takes place, they travel through the lake and can be caught using big flashy spoons. They aren't feeding but if you can get them to strike in anger the fight is on. The fish themselves are starting to darken but for the most part they are still good eating. There can be so many salmon in the lake near the river mouth that the water is boiling. It's pretty neat to watch.

[chubbdarter]

i miss making the mabel trip....nice salmon on j plugs...lots of ling too

[ishootbambi]

I grew up on the shores of the lake on the Vernon end.

Good luck!

did you ever fish flyfish lake south of lavington? there is flyfish 1 and flyfish 2......1 being a little better when i lived there. a bit of a hike to get in, but man are there some seriously awesome rainbows up there. the first time i ever saw a 12 inch ribbon leech i figured for sure they were gonna get me right through the waders, lol. i miss the fishing out there......

[walking buffalo]

Mabel Lake and Chinooks, lots of fun. :)

There are catfish in OK Lake, at least around Penticton. They are Black catfish, Ameiurus melas. These guys are small, rarely get over 2 lbs.

The have dispersed upstream from Osoyoos Lake.


Anyone fish for Perch in OK Lake? I used to catch lots of jumbo perch in Naramata. I always heard that Vernon was the best place for them, plenty of 2 pounders.

[Rob Miskosky]

did you ever fish flyfish lake south of lavington? there is flyfish 1 and flyfish 2......1 being a little better when i lived there. a bit of a hike to get in, but man are there some seriously awesome rainbows up there. the first time i ever saw a 12 inch ribbon leech i figured for sure they were gonna get me right through the waders, lol. i miss the fishing out there......

Are you talking about Becker and Bardolph Lakes? Not sure I've heard of flyfish 1 and 2, but Becker and Bardolph aren't far from Lavington and both are well-known for their fly-fishing.

[Rob Miskosky]

Mabel Lake and Chinooks, lots of fun. :)

There are catfish in OK Lake, at least around Penticton. They are Black catfish, Ameiurus melas. These guys are small, rarely get over 2 lbs.

The have dispersed upstream from Osoyoos Lake.


Anyone fish for Perch in OK Lake? I used to catch lots of jumbo perch in Naramata. I always heard that Vernon was the best place for them, plenty of 2 pounders.

Never heard of catfish in Okanagan, at least not on the Vernon end. Oh, and it's nice to hear somebody call the lake by its proper name... Okanagan Lake, not Lake Okanagan. That was the name of a resort that suddenly started calling the lake that name. Erks me to no end.

[walking buffalo]

Never heard of catfish in Okanagan, at least not on the Vernon end. Oh, and it's nice to hear somebody call the lake by its proper name... Okanagan Lake, not Lake Okanagan. That was the name of a resort that suddenly started calling the lake that name. Erks me to no end.


These cats are pretty cool. I have caught them around the piers in Penticton. If you play a round at the Golf Club Penticton , you will see swarms of young ones in the natural water hazards when you are pulling your balls out....

[thorne]

thanks for the awsome info guys!! Really appriciate it...We will just be hanging mostly in the area by the house, between okanagan landing and the provincial park. Even if the kids jus haul in suckers off the dock, but Ill definately be heading out for a few early morning trips looking for few Rainbows and Kokanee....again thanks and hopefully Ill have a good report and cool pics by end July! Cheers!

[ishootbambi]

Are you talking about Becker and Bardolph Lakes? Not sure I've heard of flyfish 1 and 2, but Becker and Bardolph aren't far from Lavington and both are well-known for their fly-fishing.

no, becker has brookies and bardolph rainbows. they are just up the hill north of lavington. good fishing, but not the same quality as flyfish. to get there you go south of lavington. its just a few miles south of doreen lake....which is also very good for numbers and size. from doreen turn left just past the campground and go down about 5 miles if i remember right. i think it was called the aberdeen road? its been a while so im not sure of the names, but i could drive to it tomorrow no sweat.

[ishootbambi]

Mabel Lake and Chinooks, lots of fun. :)

There are catfish in OK Lake, at least around Penticton. They are Black catfish, Ameiurus melas. These guys are small, rarely get over 2 lbs.

The have dispersed upstream from Osoyoos Lake.


Anyone fish for Perch in OK Lake? I used to catch lots of jumbo perch in Naramata. I always heard that Vernon was the best place for them, plenty of 2 pounders.

sugar lake was a good one too for gerrards.

i didnt fish them, but i saw some whopper perch in OK near vernon one day when we were skiing. a huge school of what looked to be 2 pounders or so. for whatever reason, i never did fish Ok lake, and for that matter that was the only day i ever put a boat into that lake. spent lots of time on kalamalka lake though. even had the privelege of donning a drysuit to go water skiing on new years day with some guys i played hockey with. i never understood why kal never froze when swan did right across the road?

[walking buffalo]

sugar lake was a good one too for gerrards.

i didnt fish them, but i saw some whopper perch in OK near vernon one day when we were skiing. a huge school of what looked to be 2 pounders or so. for whatever reason, i never did fish Ok lake, and for that matter that was the only day i ever put a boat into that lake. spent lots of time on kalamalka lake though. even had the privelege of donning a drysuit to go water skiing on new years day with some guys i played hockey with. i never understood why kal never froze when swan did right across the road?

I hope Thorne is paying attention to the perch tips. The very end of the lake at Vernon is AWSOME for huge perch. What could be better for the kids?

Kalamalka is much bigger and deeper. And don't forget about the wastewater being pumped into it.

Never did fish Sugar. There are so many lakes to fish. The key for big fish in local plateau lakes is to find the ones that have been ignored for a few years.

[Rob Miskosky]

sugar lake was a good one too for gerrards.

i didnt fish them, but i saw some whopper perch in OK near vernon one day when we were skiing. a huge school of what looked to be 2 pounders or so. for whatever reason, i never did fish Ok lake, and for that matter that was the only day i ever put a boat into that lake. spent lots of time on kalamalka lake though. even had the privelege of donning a drysuit to go water skiing on new years day with some guys i played hockey with. i never understood why kal never froze when swan did right across the road?

Sugar is a good lake from what I remember. I think it is stocked with gerrards every year, or at least it used to be. I've also fished Doreen but for some reason I can't put my finger on these other two lakes you are talking about, I'll have to ask my dad who has fished every piece of water in the country.

Also, you must mean Wood Lake that is across the road from Kalamalka. Swan Lake is on the opposite end of Vernon and also has some decent rainbow fishing but is considered by most of the locals to be nothing more than a big slough.

[Rob Miskosky]

thanks for the awsome info guys!! Really appriciate it...We will just be hanging mostly in the area by the house, between okanagan landing and the provincial park. Even if the kids jus haul in suckers off the dock, but Ill definately be heading out for a few early morning trips looking for few Rainbows and Kokanee....again thanks and hopefully Ill have a good report and cool pics by end July! Cheers!

That's where I grew up... Okanagan Landing. My parents, and my brother and his family still live in the Landing. Have fun!

[ishootbambi]

Sugar is a good lake from what I remember. I think it is stocked with gerrards every year, or at least it used to be. I've also fished Doreen but for some reason I can't put my finger on these other two lakes you are talking about, I'll have to ask my dad who has fished every piece of water in the country.

Also, you must mean Wood Lake that is across the road from Kalamalka. Swan Lake is on the opposite end of Vernon and also has some decent rainbow fishing but is considered by most of the locals to be nothing more than a big slough.

yup, sorry....confused wood and swamp...:sign0161:

to get to those lakes requires some walking. we carried our belly boats in with backpack harnesses....it is not really fishable from shore, and have fly only restrictions.

otto and mia used to run the shell gas station in lavington and he had maps of the roads and lakes in the lavington area printed up by locals. he sold out and i have no idea if the new guy kept that up. it was my favorite lake there though.

if i was up for a drive, echo lake over by lumby was always sure to produce. i caught my only laker ever in there.

[Rob Miskosky]

Fished Echo as well! :)

[Dark]

Doreen Lake is above the town of Winfield

[ishootbambi]

Doreen Lake is above the town of Winfield

those roads all connect. ive taken a trip all the way to kelowna on those chicken trails. since i lived in lavington, the easy route for me was straight south of home......maybe 20 minutes drive. we are talking about the same lake.