Kootenay Lake's Gerrard rainbows and kokanee, the Arrow Lakes, Slocan and Moyie, and the Elk and Kootenay rivers - trophy trout country, east of the Okanagan.
The October 8 Kootenay Lake report has water under 60 F and rainbows moving to the surface: 10-20 fish daily, mostly 2-3 lb with the odd fish over 5. Lux bucktails in #215, #222 and #226 and brass/fire-stripe Gibbs Crocs are producing. Bull trout are taking STS flashers with green pistachio hoochies or Skinny Gs at 100-150 ft. The September Columbia report near Trail has 17-20 inch rainbows in back eddies and bank walls, with Pickle and Sculpin streamers, Prince Nymphs and Copper Johns; BWO and October Caddis hatches added dry-fly opportunities.
Sources: Reel Adventures fishing report, St. Mary Angler shop report - thank you to these sources for their updates. Further details in the linked reports.
Kootenay Lake: September was good and October has started with a bang - water temp below 60 F and fish coming to the surface; averaging 10-20 fish per day, mostly 2-3 lb rainbows with the odd 5-plus, prime fall fishing a couple weeks out.
Source: Reel Adventures fishing report, Oct 8 2026.
Columbia River (Trail): fall rainbow fishing quite good - about a dozen fish each in the 17-20 inch slot plus 22-23 inchers; Blue Winged Olives and October Caddis coming off, Pickle and sculpin streamers, Prince Nymphs and Copper Johns working.
Source: St. Mary Angler shop report, Sep 22 2026.
St. Mary River / East Kootenay rivers: rivers fishing absolutely great into fall - rainy, cool days making fish very active; St. Mary running at summer low, stable with recent rain.
Source: St. Mary Angler shop report, Sep 1 2026.
Kootenay Lake (summer): fished well through the heat - early-morning trips producing rainbows 2-4 lb and bull trout 2-8 lb, fish gorging on kokanee fry; Lux Flies on choppy days, Gibbs Crocs in brass/firestripe on calm days, STS flasher with green spatterback hoochie for bulls.
Source: Reel Adventures fishing report, Jul 17 2026.
| Waters (in-season now) | Species | Window | Limit / gear |
|---|---|---|---|
| All Region 4 waters | All | Apr 1 until further notice | Non-retention |
Live from the provincial stocking database - type a lake name for its recent stocking history.
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Rainbow trout
Kokanee
AI-generated summaries · checked October 14, 2026. Project goals, completed work and measured results are kept separate. These notes do not change fishing rules.
Intent: Rebuild burbot in the river system and Kootenay Lake through work led jointly by the Ktunaxa Nation Council, Kootenai Tribe of Idaho, Idaho Fish and Game and B.C.
Progress: The Province announced another Moyie Lake egg-collection season for February 2026. Adults are tagged and returned alive; their eggs and eggs from the U.S. river are raised for releases in the Kootenay system.
Results: B.C. reports survival and recaptures of released fish. River spawning remains inconsistent because habitat problems persist. This is progress, not proof of a self-sustaining recovery.
Next aim: Hatchery support helps bridge the gap while natural reproduction recovers. This is a recovery goal, not a numeric prediction of future fish returns.
B.C. recovery update · Kootenai Tribe programIntent: Support kokanee by maintaining spawning habitat and restoring nutrients lost after dam construction.
Progress: FWCP lists continued Meadow Creek spawning-channel work and Arrow Lakes nutrient restoration for 2026-2027. Nutrient additions support the food chain that produces food for kokanee.
What the evidence means: These are funded habitat and food-web projects. A funded project or nutrient addition is not a measured increase in adult kokanee. The linked project pages describe the work, not a future return forecast.
Meadow Creek 2026-2027 · Arrow Lakes 2026-2027Intent: Replace some nutrients trapped by dams so the lake food chain can support kokanee.
Results: The 2023 monitoring report counted about 320,000 spawners in monitored tributaries and Hill Creek channel, near the post-restoration average. Kokanee biomass was above that average, while the number of younger fish in the reservoir was below it. More fish weight does not always mean more fish.
Limits: These are 2023 measurements, not a 2026 fish count. Weather, water flows, predators and food all matter; nutrient additions alone do not guarantee a strong return.
Current program: FWCP lists Arrow Lakes nutrient restoration for the 2026-2027 project year. This confirms a current project, not a new fish count.
Progress: FWCP reports that an independent 2022 review supported continuing food-web restoration at Arrow and Kootenay Lake, with adjustments introduced in 2023. Current project funding is not a future population forecast.
FWCP 2026-2027 Arrow project · Arrow 2023-2024 monitoring report · FWCP review summaryAdd your email and we'll let you know when the TightLinesBC reports launch.