Kootenay Lake

[barbless]

Ok I'm looking at booking a fishing charter on the Kootenay Lake. I checked the search area here but no updates since 2015 that I can find. My trip will be hopefully Sept. 15-16 two full days. I can only find two that I might consider.
Reel Adventures and Kootenay Wild. If there are others you might recommend please let me know. There are only 2 of us. If you have chartered there how was your experience and who did you book with?

[EZM]

I have been to Kootenay quite a bit and seen the Reel Adventures boat - a white tin big water lake boat with cabin - and they run planners, riggers, etc.. and seem to pull fish out of there.

I spoke to one of the guides and he was pretty cool - gave me a few tips and was pretty open to sharing a few things I didn't know.

[deschambault]

I'm at Kootenay now and for the next 10 days. Fishing was very slow today with only one hit. I will try planer boards and bucktails tomorrow morning as apparently there was some surface activity today. I spent the day downrigging in the areas that worked for me last year at this time but the fish seem to have moved a bit. Last year it took a couple of days to find them but the action was pretty good from there. I didn't see any obvious guide boats out today but then again they were likely where the fish were. Also the radio was really quiet and that is a bad sign. Great weather though.

[EZM]

Originally Posted by deschambault

I'm at Kootenay now and for the next 10 days. Fishing was very slow today with only one hit. I will try planer boards and bucktails tomorrow morning as apparently there was some surface activity today. I spent the day downrigging in the areas that worked for me last year at this time but the fish seem to have moved a bit. Last year it took a couple of days to find them but the action was pretty good from there. I didn't see any obvious guide boats out today but then again they were likely where the fish were. Also the radio was really quiet and that is a bad sign. Great weather though.

What part of the lake? I usually am in Balfour and fish the main lake south of there along the west shore this time of year. Not the best time of year, particularly if it's calm, but enough action to keep you entertained.

If there is any chop - a fly, trolling fast, way back (or off a planner) and skipping top has produced some results too.

[barbless]

Thanks for your responses. I did fish the Lake couple years ago but north of Kaslo out of Schroeder Creek. Nice little community and marina. Co-worker has a place there. Did pretty good for the five days there. Rainbows and bulls. Down riggers set at about 100 ft in 120 deep and casting around a couple creeks. East side of lake. Doing it different this time

[Buckwheat]

Bc fisheries has a predator reduction program for Kootenay lake on now. Noticed fewer fish this last month but the Water is warmer now which slows down the bite. The goal is to remove 12-20k rainbows/bulls over the year long program

https://bcwf.bc.ca/kootenay-lake-ang...ntive-program/

[liar]

Originally Posted by EZM

I have been to Kootenay quite a bit and seen the Reel Adventures boat - a white tin big water lake boat with cabin - and they run planners, riggers, etc.. and seem to pull fish out of there.

I spoke to one of the guides and he was pretty cool - gave me a few tips and was pretty open to sharing a few things I didn't know.

isnt it nice when that happens .

[Buckwheat]

Not like the good ole days




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[barbless]

Originally Posted by Buckwheat

Not like the good ole days




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Sweet. If I cut that one in half it could be my daily limit. LOL
3 - 5 lb were my last ones a couple years ago. But like I mentioned it was north of Kaslo. Fun time

[Buckwheat]

Originally Posted by barbless

Sweet. If I cut that one in half it could be my daily limit. LOL
3 - 5 lb were my last ones a couple years ago. But like I mentioned it was north of Kaslo. Fun time

Good luck! Might win yourself a boat 🚣

[barbless]

Ya I was reading up on that incentive to fish out there. I'll take the monthly prize. LOL When reading the reg's it says you have to leave the head, fins and tail attached for identification. How can you freeze the heads and hand them in like the write up mentions? Will drop mine off at Balfour (Gill and Gift)
Will have to look into it further

[Pixel Shooter]

I have fished this lake for 20 plus years. Last 4-5 yrs the Kokanee runs died off. Count was brutally low. Meaning very little food source for big rainbows hence why no one catches anything of size anymore. Last i heard from locals is biologists finally agree that best course of action is to re-fertilize the lake to get Kokanee numbers back up. But as one can see this has not been working. They need to close the Kokanee fishery for a bit. Pretty sad. Miss those 15-20lb rainbows. Polar bear hair and planner boards or plugs with right colours were killer. Look forward to hearing things have turned around but will take time. Pend oreille to some extent went thru same thing. Right now that’s a solid fishery with same strain rainbows