Kootenay Lake

Now that the water temperature has reached its coldest, the big fish come out to play.  This is the time of year when we seem to catch our biggest Dollies, and the Rainbows all seem to be big.

We're not catching as many fish as in the Fall, but all fish are quality fish at this time of year.  Because the temperature has cooled down, it means the fish have slowed down.  That means it's time to slow down your presentation.  So, our speeds now have slowed to between 1.8 - 2.5 mph.  That doesn't mean the fishing has slowed down, it just means that we can't cover as much water as the faster speeds, which in turn means fewer fish.

However, the trade off has been worth it.  Rainbows up to 24 Lbs and Dollies up to 17 Lbs have been caught.  Also seem to be losing some big fish this time of year.  Some break the line, and some of the smart ones spit the hook.  These of course always seem to be the biggest fish that bite the hook.  Maybe we're getting close to that 30 pounder.  Just need to keep him on...

We're still catching fish on the surface and down deep.  Seem to see most of the fish stacked up in the 120 - 150ft depths.  However, when they decide to feed, it seems to happen more on the surface.  So, you definitely need to mix it up a bit.  

The fish are still scattered throughout the water column, so we are fishing both on the surface and  down deeper.  Bucktail flies on the surface in the usual colors are working well.  Blk/wht, Grey/wht, Purple/wht are working well.  My favorites have been: # 228, 215, 224, 207, 203, and lately the 210.  Some common names are:  grey ghost, bleeding gill, and November special.  

Also we've been using the downriggers for both Rainbows and Dolly Varden (Bull Trout).  Some of our best depths have been 100', 120', 140' and even below 150' lately.  We've been using our favorite flasher & hoochie combo, or my favorite Lyman plugs are working well.  Plug #'s 10, 16, 32, 100, and 160 have producing some good fish for me as well.

The water temperature is around 40 degrees now, so that means our prime fishing should continue.

Some of our biggest fish should be caught in the next couple of months !

Winter is here, so Let's Go Fishing !!!

Tight lines...................

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*** Kootenay Lake Projects***

BC Hydro and FWCP is continuing the Kootenay Lake Creel Census.  You may have noticed on certain days there are people waiting at the dock or boat launch when you get in. Also if you notice a low flying airplane, don't be alarmed.  They are just counting boats. They are collecting information on size of fish being caught, catch rates,and the amount of time that anglers are spending on Kootenay Lake.  This information will help with management of our resources.  So, if you see them on the dock, feel free to share some information.  Samples of your catch are also appreciated. ( scale samples, size and weight of fish). 

Also, still going on is our tagging program.  Keep your eyes open for any tagged fish.  Some of these fish have a reward tag attached to the dorsal.  If you catch a tagged fish you can cut the tag off to claim your reward.  You may then release the fish or choose to keep it.  But, either way if you can get length and weight of the fish, that will help us determine how well the fish are growing and how healthy our population is. 

 It's an exciting time of year.

So, Let's get out there..

Tight lines............