Fishing kootney lake

[bardfromedson]

I'm heading to kootney lake for the first time may 10th weekend for the first time. From what I hear they should be spawning. Where should a guy be fishing out of this time of year? Guys trip just pulling the boat out so a cabin rental would be nice but would consider other accomidations if it puts me closer to good fishing. Found cabins at Woodbury resort and pilot bay. Looks like a guy could keep his boat in the water there which would be nice. Heard pilot bay may be pretty shallow at that time though. Have a 23ft so that would be a problem in skinny water. I have planer boards and down riggers but not sure what to use at that time. Looking to catch both Gerard's and Dolly's. Maybe a koke or two if there biting for the pan since all the big ones are going back in the pond. Any place I should stop to get tackle and a report would also help out.

 

[JAC]

Launch near belfour. Stop at gill and gift for the reports on what buck tails are working, it's a great tackle shop has everything you need for fishing the lake. They should be hitting gear on the surfaces by then bring your planner boards forsure. Fishing near Balfour on the main lake has always been the best for me. Speeds from 2.5 to 4 mph depending on water temp and make sure your buck tails are tracking straight

 

[Big Green Machine]

They have some new cabins at Woodbury that I stayed in last summer and they were very nice, can keep your boat moored there as well and it's great fishing right out front all the way down to the hot springs.

 

[JAC]

Ya there are tons of cabins and campgrounds with moorage to stay at on kootenay lake.

 

[Curtis]

Big Bull Trout at Duncan Dam! Much better fishing than Kooteney Lake. It's about 25 min to the north, calmer waters and lots of trout over 10 lbs. Both the fly rods c/w planner boards and white hootchies and flashers on the riggers work well in the early spring.

 

[JAC]

Big Bull Trout at Duncan Dam! Much better fishing than Kooteney Lake. It's about 25 min to the north, calmer waters and lots of trout over 10 lbs. Both the fly rods c/w planner boards and white hootchies and flashers on the riggers work well in the early spring.

What's the boat launch there like do they have a dock. Is it a gravel road to get in there?

 

[huntinnut]

Kootenay lake is undergoing some changes these days. Some of the kokanee have a virus and the food web of the lake is changing. The south end of the lake has been fishing better this winter than the north, and fishing has been generally slow. It will be interesting to see what the spring brings. We caught a few this winter, mostly bull trout and a couple really good ones down in the south end.

Duncan lake is supposed to be awesome right at ice-out for bull trout. There is a concrete ramp at the rec site on the west side. Because it is a reservoir the water level fluctuates a lot! It's the craziest ramp I've ever seen, and was really really long at a 25-30% grade when we were there and the water was very low. There is no dock. The water level goes up at least 80 feet in the summer, maybe more. It's a strange place when the water is low.

 

[JAC]

I heard that the fishing was picking up but maybe that's not the case

 

[huntinnut]

Fishing had been good into mid fall, and then the guides and others were getting skinny fish with empty stomachs. Some rainbows pushing 35 inches that were only 16-18 pounds, that should be over 20lbs. In the late fall and early winter the fishing slowed down, though the far south of the lake was doing better than the north, which is strange for kootenay lake. I caught my personal best bull trout around Christmas. The kokanee at meadow creek were found to have a virus and #s were down a lot. It will be interesting to see what the spawning numbers of Gerrards at lardeau will be this year.

http://bc.ctvnews.ca/fatal-fish-virus-targets-kootenay-lake-kokanee-1.1656796

http://thenelsondaily.com/news/fish...-lake-kokanee-calls-action-28084#.UxPDmdiYbIU

 

[Brambles]

fishing in general all of 2013 and now 2014 has been real slow. This winter at the slowest they would only have one short feed per week. Lots of boats going out coming back skunked. You had a good day if you caught a fish....regardless of size. Lots of hours put in per fish.

Like Huntinnut said, lots of empty stomachs....Lots of bulls with stomachs full of tapeworms. Rainbows have some sort of parasite worm in the abdominal cavity that show up like pea sized white balls...but is a coiled up worm in a clear sac...not sure what they are called..Still looking into it.

I'm hesitant to say it but we did have two decent days of fishing last week which is abnormal.... sometimes you'll luck onto the bite on one day but never two days in a row so here's hoping we have turned the tides. One rainbow even had kokanee in its stomach oooooohhhhhhh...aaaaaaahhhhhhhh..

 

[Nakoda boater]

The skinny bulls have been reported as river/stream fish that got washed down last spring, their flesh is white not like the lake bulls where their flesh is rose'. Overall the fishing for us has been decent and will be out there on Friday.