Bass fishing in the Kootenays

[Pretty83]

Hey guys!

Looking for some info on some bass fishing in the Kootenays. My 6 year old has been bugging me to get out and try our luck for some bass. I’ve never been before, so I’m just looking for some tips on when abouts ice off maybe on lakes like surveyors, Baynes, Suzanne. I’ll be doing some fly fishing but I might get some gear for my kid. Was thinking maybe set up with a drop shot set up? Any kind of info or advice would be great guys, thanks. Pm if you’d like.

[Wazzy]

Very limited experience here, but I took my float tube out to Surveyors a couple years ago in July. The lake is extremely warm and clear. You can see bass everywhere and they will follow just about any streamer thrown their way. Getting them to commit is another story. I finally caught a few on a brown rubber legged wooly bugger with a full sink line casting and stripping toward the fallen logs. From what I hear it can be hit or miss. Fun lake regardless. Good luck!

[thumper]

Shore fishing? Boat? Float tube?

For a 6 year old - that probably needs action rather than size - I'd go to Jim Smith Lake bear Cranbrook, or Baynes Lk.

[Pretty83]

Originally Posted by thumper

Shore fishing? Boat? Float tube?

For a 6 year old - that probably needs action rather than size - I'd go to Jim Smith Lake bear Cranbrook, or Baynes Lk.

I’ll be taking my drift boat down with me. Yeah, he won’t care so much for size, seen them on tv and sees the explosive strikes and has been obsessed with seeing one and catching one!

[Red Bullets]

Windermere Lake south of Radium has largemouth bass as well as rainbow, cutthroat, char, kokanee, mountain whitefish, northern pikeminnow, burbot and pumpkinseed. I think the south end of the lake is where the bass fishermen go. On the BC Ifish app there are a couple comments of where.

[Don Andersen]

Pretty83.

I’ve fished bass in all of those lakes with flies. Bass like warmer water. Mid to lake May is a better bet.
Barnes have a pile
I have used sliders, poppers, buggers and lately pumpkinheads. Most of the fish are <12” with a rare one 15”.
Fish shallow. Shade is good.

Don

[Pretty83]

Originally Posted by Wazzy

Very limited experience here, but I took my float tube out to Surveyors a couple years ago in July. The lake is extremely warm and clear. You can see bass everywhere and they will follow just about any streamer thrown their way. Getting them to commit is another story. I finally caught a few on a brown rubber legged wooly bugger with a full sink line casting and stripping toward the fallen logs. From what I hear it can be hit or miss. Fun lake regardless. Good luck!

Awesome thanks for the reply! I think he’d be happy to even see them swimming around, that’s always kinda cool. I’ve read theirs turtles in this lake as well?

[Epic_mango_27]

windermere lake for bass and pikeminnow/sqawfish just lil bass tho, email me at ethan.nem@gmail.com for lures and locations

[ÜberFly]

Pretty much any bushy dry fly worked for us and skitter it across the surface! Got boring really quickly! Perfect for kids!

[rusbo09]

X2 for Jim smith lake, went out on a canoe with the fly rod last September and have never found so many bass, not much of size but non stop throughout the afternoon. Saw a couple perch that had to be 8-9 inches too...

[Fly fishing Alberta]

Duck lake near creston


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[tinpusher]

Make sure the lake is specifically listed in the regs as open for bass! For instance Surveyors is not. This is copied from the regs:

NOTICE TO ANGLERS
It is illegal to fish for bass, perch, pike or
walleye in the Kootenay Region, with the
exception of certain waters, as listed in
the Water-Specific Tables. This measure
is part of B.C.’s management approach to
illegal fish introductions. For details, see below:

The problem
• Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) threaten native fish, their ecosystems and
the recreational fishing opportunities they support - this means fish like
trout and char are at risk!
• Uninformed people intentionally or accidentally moving AIS fish from one
waterbody to another is the main cause for the spread of invasive fish in
B.C. - this is ILLEGAL!

B.C.’s response
• New introductions of AIS fish will not be tolerated
• All waterbodies with new detections will immediately be closed to fishing
for that species
• Some waterbodies with high-risk introductions may be closed indefinitely
to ALL fishing
• Where feasible high risk AIS will be eradicated from watersheds
• Where eradication is not immediately feasible, measures to manage
risk and prevent AIS spreading such as special regulations will be
implemented
• For a restricted list of lakes, AIS may be managed as a regulated fishery
which could be terminated should risks of AIS increase

[thumper]

Love it ! B.C. is going to give those nasty introduced fish a good, stern talking to !

"B.C.’s response
• New introductions of AIS fish will not be tolerated"

[koothunter]

Originally Posted by tinpusher

Make sure the lake is specifically listed in the regs as open for bass! For instance Surveyors is not. This is copied from the regs:

NOTICE TO ANGLERS
It is illegal to fish for bass, perch, pike or
walleye in the Kootenay Region, with the
exception of certain waters, as listed in
the Water-Specific Tables. This measure
is part of B.C.’s management approach to
illegal fish introductions. For details, see below:

The problem
• Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) threaten native fish, their ecosystems and
the recreational fishing opportunities they support - this means fish like
trout and char are at risk!
• Uninformed people intentionally or accidentally moving AIS fish from one
waterbody to another is the main cause for the spread of invasive fish in
B.C. - this is ILLEGAL!

B.C.’s response
• New introductions of AIS fish will not be tolerated
• All waterbodies with new detections will immediately be closed to fishing
for that species
• Some waterbodies with high-risk introductions may be closed indefinitely
to ALL fishing
• Where feasible high risk AIS will be eradicated from watersheds
• Where eradication is not immediately feasible, measures to manage
risk and prevent AIS spreading such as special regulations will be
implemented
• For a restricted list of lakes, AIS may be managed as a regulated fishery
which could be terminated should risks of AIS increase

I realize this thread is pretty old, but this comment is not accurate with regard to Surveyor's Lake. The regs don't list Surveyor's Lake, but it lists all lakes in Kikomun Creek park as unlimited quota for bass. Surveyor's Lake is in Kikomun park.

[tinpusher]

Originally Posted by koothunter

I realize this thread is pretty old, but this comment is not accurate with regard to Surveyor's Lake. The regs don't list Surveyor's Lake, but it lists all lakes in Kikomun Creek park as unlimited quota for bass. Surveyor's Lake is in Kikomun park.

Good catch kookhunter

[Parker Hale]

Originally Posted by koothunter

I realize this thread is pretty old, but this comment is not accurate with regard to Surveyor's Lake. The regs don't list Surveyor's Lake, but it lists all lakes in Kikomun Creek park as unlimited quota for bass. Surveyor's Lake is in Kikomun park.

But it does not specifically say Surveyor's lake is open to bass, so I wouldn't chance it. I believe at the start of the east Kootenay section it says no bass fishing unless the lake is listed as allowing it. Example, Suzanne and Tie are both listed as having an unlimited quota. This tells me no bass fishing in Surveyor's.

from the BC regs page 35: Bass: 0 quota, CLOSED TO FISHING
(See tables for exceptions)

Surveyors is not listed in the table which means it falls under the general regs.

[nick0danger]

Originally Posted by Parker Hale

But it does not specifically say Surveyor's lake is open to bass, so I wouldn't chance it. I believe at the start of the east Kootenay section it says no bass fishing unless the lake is listed as allowing it. Example, Suzanne and Tie are both listed as having an unlimited quota. This tells me no bass fishing in Surveyor's.

from the BC regs page 35: Bass: 0 quota, CLOSED TO FISHING
(See tables for exceptions)

Surveyors is not listed in the table which means it falls under the general regs.

Surveyors lake is in Kikomun creek provincial parks, and I have fished it for bass last season with many others with no issues.

KIKOMUN CREEK PARK
(all lakes in the park) 4-22 Bass daily quota = unlimited
No powered boats

Link to map https://bcparks.ca/explore/parkpgs/k...=1620669196056

[Pav]

Suzanne Lake has bass.

[Epic_mango_27]

I might be to Windermere lake for some bass, Only if I get good grades tho, should be interesting, check out my youtube channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPF...nLtyYQmZOxOQoA


picture of my one and only bass