schuswap lake

[rico]

Just wondering if anyone knows. I am going to the Schuswap lake for a house boating trip with the inlaws and family. I am bringing my boat to pull the kids around and all that. Should i bring my kicker ,downriggers etc. to fish for salmon? Not sure if it is worth it, but i have seen lots of boats trolling around last time i was out there.

 

[scott craven]

do you mean Kokanee ?

 

[rico]

I watched a guy 2 years ago catch a 25 pound chinook in the schuswap river, running through a little town called enderby. I couldn't believe it, but it looked like it was fresh from the ocean. These fish were on their way to mable lake, so i was told. I went there to check out the marina, and they were selling flashers and hootchies and all that stuff.I looked out on the lake, and it looked like otter point! Boats everywhere trolling for salmon. On their wall there were massive chinook, one i believe was around 60 pounds, that was caught in the lake. I think these fish access through the schuswap lake. I googled it, and there are salmon charters you can hire on the lake, so i figured if it was decent, i would just bring my own stuff and have a little fun with it. I know for sure there are kokanee in there.

 

[scott craven]

Wow ,i never knew there could be a Chinook fishery that far inland ?

 

[rico]

Yah, its amazing to see. I am not sure how to show links, but here is a quote from the Enderby tourism website,
"The Shuswap River is famous for its spawning grounds east of Enderby, where coho, spring and sockeye salmon return each year to spawn in the gravelbeds"
And here -
http://www.shuswapriver.com/activities/shuswap-area-fishing-guide/ -a quote from their website
"Fishing is excellent year-round in the Shuswaps. From the end of August through the Fall come for the annual Salmon Run and take advantage of our shoulder season and low season rates."

And this is the lake where i visited the marina store
(mabel lake)
http://www.bcadventure.com/adventure/explore/ok/mabel/mabel.htm
Quote -
"Chinook salmon are also found in the lake, however there are special regulations regarding this species of fish. A popular lake, Mabel is considered a great family get-away."

 

[JuandeOne]

Unless something crazy has happened in the last ten years, there is no chinook sport fishery in Shuswap Lake.

The trollers you see are targetting large rainbow and lakers and techniques and tackle are similar to saltwater salmon...flashers/hoochies, plugs, spoons etc.

Fishing is generally slow during the hot days of summer but first and last light can produce some fish.

 

[JAC]

Hey Guys

There are alot of people that do fish for Chinooks in Shuswap lake but its illegal, CO can't do anything unless they catch them keeping the fish. I know guys that are fishing for Rainbow and try to stay away from the chinook hangouts and they catch a few each year. The fish enter Shuswap lake in May and hold in the lake until the time is right to push up to mable Lake. There is a sport fishery on parts of Shuswap River and Mable lake as long as you buy a Non Tidal Salmon Stamp. Fishing in Shuswap is pretty good there are Rainbows, Lakers, Bulls, Kokanee and Burbot found in the lake. Trout up to 20lbs have been caught but 5-12lbs are a good size trout for the lake.

 

[rico]

Thanks jac. that clears it up a bit. I knew there was a fishery in shuswap river because i have seen it in Enderby. I knew they were headed to Mable, and i figured they were coming from Shuswap lake, but i didnt know you couldnt fish for them in the lake. Its good to know about the other fish to catch though. I might just bring my gear and give it a go. It sounds like fun.

 

[Jockey]

Deffinetly bring your gear, I was there a few weeks ago and all we had was one planer board, one 3 oz weight and a couple of 4 inch apex's and we got a nice 6lb laker in a couple hours of fishing.

If you have down riggers and a depth sounder your set, I hear dark colors are betting in that lake.

 

[Cuba Libre]

http://www.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/fm-gp/rec/fresh-douce/region8-eng.htm

20ft Alumaweld Intruder

 

[TheBigGuy]

Lots of nice size rainbows and lakers to be caught off the riggers in Shuswap Lake. Flashers and pink mini hoochies work well. So do large spoons and plugs. Some of the largest freshwater fish in the province are in Shuswap, Quesnell and Kootenay lakes.

 

[Little Hawk]

Haven't fished the Shuswap since the early 80's but have camped there many times throughout my life. Arguably my favorite lake.

Had ample opportunity to learn about the Kamloops (big) Rainbows that patrol that lake; my wife's folks owned a cabin on Magna Bay for years. Don't imagine too much has changed since then. The fish seem to move around in schools, in and out of bays looking for feeder fish - Kokanee ect. - and when you find them you have to work fast because the bite can be off in a half-hour or less.

I worked in 100/ft of water, downrigger @ 70/ft, red Mac-squid plug about 3 1/2". Deadly! Don't know if you can still get Mac-squid's, but they were the ticket.

There are monster Rainbows in the Shuswap. My father in law lost one close to 20 and I've heard stories from some of the locals up there of 30/lber's back in the 'Old Days'.

"Some could care less if there's any fish left for our kids!"

 

[jjmoffett]

fished shuswap quite extensively over the past 15 years. i love it but believe downriggers are a must to consistantely catch decent sized bows and lakers. silver apex and silver coyote spoon have been the most consistant producer for me. good luck.

 

[rico]

well, i went. I brought my stuff. didnt have a whole lot of luck. Just a 4 pound squaw that i released. Had a good hit, but it didnt stick. I talked to a local guy who fishes alot, and he said that he caught 2 chinook over 40 this year.He was getting 1 at least per day. It is now illegal to target them at this point, but not earlier. So there is a fishery, just no retention. Lots of fish, i saw a ton jumping. I also saw 5 sockeye swim under our house boat, and another 3 floating dead.
The bridge in Enderby was packed with guys. I talked to them for a while and they said that the chinook were coming strong this year. They had done well on the bridge. Then my wifes purse was stolen, so that really sucked. I never did get to see a chinook, but i was told there were lots left in the lake, and to fish them exactly as i would in the ocean. I never catch them in the ocean, so i figured in a lake would be the same result. I was right.
There were lots of pics of guys holding big springs at the floating store on the shuswap, caught this year.
Really good time, i cant wait till next year. Lots of fun on that lake!!

 

[TheBigGuy]

Sorry to hear the fishing was poor, and about your wife's purse being stolen. Where was it stolen from (what town were you in) or did someone steal it from your houseboat. Man, you figure things are safe outside the big cities. That's lousy.

Don't feel too bad about your poor results fishing. It's often hard to come by fish in the freshwater when in the peak of summer. A little earlier or later is usually better. I went up in June last year and the fishing was quite good. When the weather is 30 degrees up there the fishing is tough sometimes.

 

[rico]

thanks bigguy. i wasnt too worried about the fishing, it was beautiful scenery. i enjoy just being on the water. i had a geat time, but a fish or 2 would have made it better!
As for the story of the purse. We were at Tooly(sp?) park in Enderby. We were on our way up from penticton to Sicamous to load the houseboat. It was 4pm, and we had to be in sicamous between 7pm and 9pm. We decided to get some take out fries from the D+E diner, and eat them at a picnic table at Tooly park. It was 30 degress out, no more than 10 people at the park. I left the windows in the truck down because we were only 15-20 meters from the truck, which was in plain unobstructed view. A lady with 2 dogs came up to us, and small talked us from the beach side, so now my truck was behind us. I guess her job was to keep us distracted while someone went into our truck and grabbed the purse. She left abruptly, we didnt think much of it. I continued to watch the truck. When we were ready to leave 20 mins later, we realized the purse was gone and the lady was involved. I ran the city looking in all the dumpsters and bushes around the park while the wife cancelled everything. We made a report at the rcmp office. Mastercard was able to tell us that before we cancelled the account, a 124 dollar purchase was made at spalumcheen super save gas. I went there and obtained the video. I took the video to the rcmp office and you can see a guy fill his truck with our credit card(final price match,last 4 digits of credit card used match,and approx time match). Anyways, video showed the truck clearly, but no plate. I was so pissed off, i searched the town with my boat behind me for the next 2 hours looking for that truck so i could bash that fugkers knees in with an oar, but i never could find it. I went houseboating, then i went back to Enderby to look for the truck again for another hour and a half. Still no luck, so i headed home.
My fault, totally should have locked the doors. The wife and i both thought of it, but hey, there was no one around and it was hot. We have no AC and the kids were whining that it was too hot. So we figured we would just watch it. I guess we underestimated the tactics that people used. The lady was really nice. Oh well, it could have been worse.