Champion Lakes

HighRiver · #1 08-14-2014, 02:53 PM

Hi folks, I'm thinking of going to K country this weekend. Which is lower and which is upper Champion lake? I hear lower winter kills so obviously I want to avoid it. Thanks guys.

jpohlic · #2 08-14-2014, 05:05 PM

It's been a while since I've been there but there used to be a creek that flowed from the upper lake to the lower lake. That should give you an idea which is which. The lower lake was closer to the meadow/road, the upper lake was a longer hike in.

I used to always fish the lower lake. I found the upper one too hard to access with a float tube - the shoreline was muddy and shallow for quite a ways out.

Flieguy · #3 08-14-2014, 05:18 PM

both lakes contain fish, they can be a little picky. Never seen anyone score on spinning gear

dean2287 · #4 08-14-2014, 07:00 PM

Champion Lakes is in BC. Do you mean Upper and Lower Kananaskis Lake? If you stay on Kanakaskis Lakes Trail into Peter Lougheed Park, Upper lake is on the left side and Lower lake is on the right.

Flieguy · #5 08-14-2014, 07:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dean2287

Champion Lakes is in BC. Do you mean Upper and Lower Kananaskis Lake? If you stay on Kanakaskis Lakes Trail into Peter Lougheed Park, Upper lake is on the left side and Lower lake is on the right.

there are also Champion lakes (very small lakes) in the Mclean Creek PLUZ

dean2287 · #6 08-14-2014, 07:23 PM

jacenbeers · #7 08-15-2014, 01:04 PM

The Upper lake is the one that is deep and round and does not have easy access. There is a rope swing and lots of areas to cast from shore on the lower lake. The lower lake is also quite a bit larger. Both have fish in the right now. The lower lake gets stocked annually but often winter kills. The upper lake does not winter kill and has a lot more fish. I wouldnt recommend fishing from the upper lake unless you plan on floating with a belly boat or something similar.

Mad Caddy · #8 12-11-2020, 01:27 PM

Hi all, sorry to bring an old thread back to life but I was wondering if anyone ever tried ice fishing at upper or lower Champion Lakes? I've never been (summer or winter) but was curious to see if it was worth a try. I know they are prone to winter kill but seem to be stocked up most years.

freeride · #9 12-11-2020, 01:30 PM

I have ice fished there before.

Only thing is it's harder to get to as the road closed Dec 1.

Flieguy · #10 12-11-2020, 01:48 PM

there were fish there in the summer (both lakes).

as mentioned, the road in is now closed so it's a long hike or a sled ride. Also don't forget there is a bait ban and the limit is 1 over 40cm

Mad Caddy · #11 12-11-2020, 01:50 PM

Ahh, ok. I forgot the road closed for the winter. Guess it’ll have to wait till summer!

raw outdoors · #12 12-11-2020, 06:49 PM

For a couple years there with the really heavy snow fall those two little lakes got piled with snow and winter killed. I hiked in a couple times and the water stunk of death and the water was really murky gross. I wish they would give a couple volunteers a key to the gate so guys could keep the snow off and the fish alive. It would be much cheaper to snow blow off the lake and keep fish and lake healthy then to helicopter in fish every spring.

CardiacCowboy · #13 12-12-2020, 04:12 AM

Interesting. Only been once. The lower (closest to the trail) lake seemed deep from shore. Hiked upto the upper and it was only a couple of feet deep upto 30 ft out. There was a makeshift "pier" of logs built out but still very shallow as far as I could see.

People were using bait and keeping fish. I did not have the regs on me but mentioned it to them and they quoted the stocked lake regs. Hope they clear up the naming issue this year. It is listed under sunken lake in the regs.

freeride · #14 12-12-2020, 11:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CardiacCowboy

Interesting. Only been once. The lower (closest to the trail) lake seemed deep from shore. Hiked upto the upper and it was only a couple of feet deep upto 30 ft out. There was a makeshift "pier" of logs built out but still very shallow as far as I could see.

People were using bait and keeping fish. I did not have the regs on me but mentioned it to them and they quoted the stocked lake regs. Hope they clear up the naming issue this year. It is listed under sunken lake in the regs.

They were in the wrong there as you mentioned. Yes it is a stocked lake, but has different regulations that they should have checked. No bait, 1 trout over 40cm allowed.

I have been there when a CO was watching by binos in the bushes. He busted a couple guys in belly boats for keeping 2 each.

CardiacCowboy · #15 12-14-2020, 12:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by freeride

They were in the wrong there as you mentioned. Yes it is a stocked lake, but has different regulations that they should have checked. No bait, 1 trout over 40cm allowed.

I have been there when a CO was watching by binos in the bushes. He busted a couple guys in belly boats for keeping 2 each.

They day I was there the people were intending to follow regs. They looked up Champion Lake in regs and saw no listing so went with default stock regs. They need to list it in regs as Champion lake first as it is in Stocking reports instead as Sunken lake.