kinbasket lake

[Redline111]

thinking of spending some time on Kinbasket lake in a few weeks. does anyone know if water levels are high or low? TIA

[ehrgeiz]

I was out on the south end just north of Golden in early July. Intel is probably not very helpful now, but water was coming up a couple feet / day. Lot's of silt, not very clear between Beaver and Quartz Creek, but I would assume it's much better now.

[Frank_NK28]

I'm working TMEP out of Valemount. Water is almost up to normal full levels. Water is clearing up about 12 miles downstream of the Valemount Marina. Locals are hammering dollies and bows trolling the mud line where the silty water meets the clear. I'm headed back to work Thursday and taking my boat with me this rotation now that the docks are in and the fishing is firing up. The kokanee will be spawning soon in the creeks between town and the marina and the dollies hang off the creek mouths feeding on the kokanee. It's time for guys like me with smaller boats(18' Targa) to be able to get after them not far from the launch and be able to get back to shore quick should the winds come roaring down that funnel between the mountain ranges which happens FAST!
First pic was long may weekend taken at the marina looking NW to town, next pic was two weekends after May long looking SE towards the first dam from the marina. Third pic was last week of June looking across from the marina at a boat headed out fishing. I was zoomed in full with my 300mm lens to give an idea of how deceiving mountains can be in making a lake appear smaller than it actually is! ....Summer melt was a real slow refresh until the the first week of July and then it really started to go!!

[Redline111]

thanks for info guys. much appreciated

[Frank_NK28]

Made it onto KInbasket this past sunday to try fishing it for the first time. . I caught the bucket list fish I was after, Dolly Varden aka Dollies, Bull Trout. Sure wasn't the size I was hoping for but I did get one...also caught a wild Rainbow, not stocked and a bonus Kokanee Salmon. I had 36" of fish, it just took 3 to make that length is all...
The scenery is something else along the waterway. I ended up travelling about 30 minutes downstream of the Marina or about 20 kms according to the locals and came across a beautiful cabin and incredible waterfall that I was told about. When the lake is drained there is a set of hot springs in front of the cabin people soak in but once the lake is filled again from snow melt the springs are under about 70+ feet of water. I never saw a lake with so much floating debris. The wood on the lake bottom dries during the winter drawdown and when the lake fills back up it floats. There is miles and miles of it, in places it looks like a river of wood debris. I made the mistake of running back to the launch at cruising speed and thought I'd done alright dodging wood.
I heard the occasional clunk of the odd piece hitting the hull and just before the marina I suddenly lost my sonar readings on my Lowrance...I am glad I hadn't yet switched out my Total Scan transducer for the 3 in 1 transducer or I'd have been even more po'd at myself than I already was when I got to the launch and saw my transducer sitting on my rear deck! One thing is for sure I definitely did a number on it and eliminated any resale value...

[EZM]

Originally Posted by Frank_NK28

Made it onto KInbasket this past sunday to try fishing it for the first time. . I caught the bucket list fish I was after, Dolly Varden aka Dollies, Bull Trout. Sure wasn't the size I was hoping for but I did get one...also caught a wild Rainbow, not stocked and a bonus Kokanee Salmon. I had 36" of fish, it just took 3 to make that length is all...
The scenery is something else along the waterway. I ended up travelling about 30 minutes downstream of the Marina or about 20 kms according to the locals and came across a beautiful cabin and incredible waterfall that I was told about. When the lake is drained there is a set of hot springs in front of the cabin people soak in but once the lake is filled again from snow melt the springs are under about 70+ feet of water. I never saw a lake with so much floating debris. The wood on the lake bottom dries during the winter drawdown and when the lake fills back up it floats. There is miles and miles of it, in places it looks like a river of wood debris. I made the mistake of running back to the launch at cruising speed and thought I'd done alright dodging wood.
I heard the occasional clunk of the odd piece hitting the hull and just before the marina I suddenly lost my sonar readings on my Lowrance...I am glad I hadn't yet switched out my Total Scan transducer for the 3 in 1 transducer or I'd have been even more po'd at myself than I already was when I got to the launch and saw my transducer sitting on my rear deck! One thing is for sure I definitely did a number on it and eliminated any resale value...

All of us have been there and done that - I keep a spare 2d transducer in the glovebox for "times like these". If I ever happen to hit my large SI transducer then it's another story - but at least having the high speed smaller 2d transducer spare will get me through the rest of the trip.

I also ran a couple lengths of paracord from the back of the boat all the way through the boat with the other end of the cord up at the dash. That way, if I have to thread the new transducer - I can tape/tie it on and thread it quickly and resume my trip. ( see pictures with pink and blue cord there tied to a ring and zipped tied at transom, then at other end near the dash at the cupholder). Anyone who has fished line through a hull knows this can be a pain in the butt - so having a cord to pull through is a godsend.

I also run two completely separate (and completely independent) units at helm with a total of 3 transducers, the SI, and two smaller 2d transducers on opposite sides of the hull. Ech 2d transducer one set at 50hz and the other at 200hz do not interfere and are completely run to two different units and linked through a ethernet hub. So they can share, or act as redundant units - depending on what I want to do.

I may have "too much" experience hitting wood/logs/sticks on a lake .... and have learned having 2 GPS and 2 transducers is a must if you ar eon remote waters for safety.

Really enjoyed the pictures, at least you caught some fish, and although not huge, they look healthy.

Always wanted to try fish that lake ... and am surprised the water just recently came up. Other lakes, like Kootenay (where I just came back from) are slowly receding already. High water there is usually end of June I think.

[Frank_NK28]

Originally Posted by EZM

All of us have been there and done that - I keep a spare 2d transducer in the glovebox for "times like these". If I ever happen to hit my large SI transducer then it's another story - but at least having the high speed smaller 2d transducer spare will get me through the rest of the trip.

I also ran a couple lengths of paracord from the back of the boat all the way through the boat with the other end of the cord up at the dash. That way, if I have to thread the new transducer - I can tape/tie it on and thread it quickly and resume my trip. ( see pictures with pink and blue cord there tied to a ring and zipped tied at transom, then at other end near the dash at the cupholder). Anyone who has fished line through a hull knows this can be a pain in the butt - so having a cord to pull through is a godsend.

I also run two completely separate (and completely independent) units at helm with a total of 3 transducers, the SI, and two smaller 2d transducers on opposite sides of the hull. Ech 2d transducer one set at 50hz and the other at 200hz do not interfere and are completely run to two different units and linked through a ethernet hub. So they can share, or act as redundant units - depending on what I want to do.

I may have "too much" experience hitting wood/logs/sticks on a lake .... and have learned having 2 GPS and 2 transducers is a must if you ar eon remote waters for safety.

Really enjoyed the pictures, at least you caught some fish, and although not huge, they look healthy.

Always wanted to try fish that lake ... and am surprised the water just recently came up. Other lakes, like Kootenay (where I just came back from) are slowly receding already. High water there is usually end of June I think.

Thanks for the tip on rigging a cord! Great idea. I have a spare total scan transducer, same as the one I broke and I have a 3 in 1 with a new Carbon 9 HDS ready to install for next season. I have two other standalone units on the boat with their own transducers(one is built into the Xi5 on the bow, the other is at the rear of the boat and is for a unit I place on a portable mount on the gunwale track system for use at the rear for setting the downriggers. I will carry on fishing my Sundays off here until next full week off and then I'll take the boat home and get it ready for next season before putting it in winter storage,. Fishing ends for me when waterfowl opens... LOL
Kinbasket still isn't up to full level yet. It still close to 12 feet below normal summer levels!

[EZM]

I am assuming you put in at Valemount at the marina? How's the launch and parking situation?

[doublehaul]

A few years ago the regulations about treble hooks was pretty clear.
What I see now is there is no barbs or treble allowed in stream and river.
Lakes are allowed both unless specified by the body of water.

Is this correct??

Thanks for your photos and trip report

[EZM]

Originally Posted by doublehaul

A few years ago the regulations about treble hooks was pretty clear.
What I see now is there is no barbs or treble allowed in stream and river.
Lakes are allowed both unless specified by the body of water.

Is this correct??

Thanks for your photos and trip report

That is true of Kootenay Region, I'd just double check your area to see if it's the same.

[Frank_NK28]

Originally Posted by EZM

I am assuming you put in at Valemount at the marina? How's the launch and parking situation?

The launch is great but parking is getting tight for space. They have a deal where you buy a membership($20) and you can store your boat there either parked on a trailer or at a dock for $3/day. Water levels are almost full and water has cleared up nicely. Was out today for a few hours. Had 4 rainbows on and landed 1. Hard to keep them on when they jump and you're running barbless hooks(my choice not regulation).I'm running barbless as I have nowhere to keep any fish kept as I'm staying in camp so all fish are being released, I just prefer landing them first to long line release. and barbless makes that job easy.
First one jumped three times. Was an honest 5 pounder. Lost it 10 feet from the boat. Fish are running 12-20 ft over 50-80 fow tight to the rocky points along the shores. My goal is to catch one of the big Dolly's that lake holds. I'd be quite pleased with a 10+ pounder!

[Smoky buck]

Big bulls(they are not Dollie’s old miss identification issue in BC that still lingers) should be hitting Kokanee near the mouth of ptarmigan around this time. Target the creek mouths in general is a good idea. Anchor and cast/jig can be good if you get on them

See any big grizzly on the shores yet?

[EZM]

Never fished Kinbasket - but the what that seems to work in Kootenay lake to target Bull is "deeper and a bit slower" .... If I want to try and get some bulls I fish a flasher with a short leader to a hoochie.

3mph and way down to the bottom part of where you are marking active fish. So if I'm seeing fish on the sonar down in a band from say 30-80ft on average - I drop my downrigger to 80 with the flasher/hoochie. I run the other one up at the typical 40-50 depth for Rainbows and Kokanees.

Rainbows seem to be higher up, like it faster, and much closer to structure it seems. Best lures are apexes (or just plain spoons) here for bows.

With a 12lb ball, at 3mph, I'm getting some blowback and 80ft of cable = 65ft of depth or so.

90% of the bulls come off that deeper set up. Sometimes I see them down around 100-120 - which means I need to set out 130-140ft of downrigger cable.

Again, that's Kootenay, so I assume it may be the same in Kinbasket, but not 100% sure.

[Frank_NK28]

Originally Posted by Smoky buck

Big bulls(they are not Dollie’s old miss identification issue in BC that still lingers) should be hitting Kokanee near the mouth of ptarmigan around this time. Target the creek mouths in general is a good idea. Anchor and cast/jig can be good if you get on them

See any big grizzly on the shores yet?

None yet, kokanee haven't moved into the creek mouth areas too heavy yet though they are catching some that are starting to get a little tint in them now. The locals say watch the eagles, once they gather the kokanee are in the creeks. No grizzly's on the shores yet...pica are from yesterday in the Ptarmigan...

[Frank_NK28]

Originally Posted by EZM

Never fished Kinbasket - but the what that seems to work in Kootenay lake to target Bull is "deeper and a bit slower" .... If I want to try and get some bulls I fish a flasher with a short leader to a hoochie.

3mph and way down to the bottom part of where you are marking active fish. So if I'm seeing fish on the sonar down in a band from say 30-80ft on average - I drop my downrigger to 80 with the flasher/hoochie. I run the other one up at the typical 40-50 depth for Rainbows and Kokanees.

Rainbows seem to be higher up, like it faster, and much closer to structure it seems. Best lures are apexes (or just plain spoons) here for bows.

With a 12lb ball, at 3mph, I'm getting some blowback and 80ft of cable = 65ft of depth or so.

90% of the bulls come off that deeper set up. Sometimes I see them down around 100-120 - which means I need to set out 130-140ft of downrigger cable.

Again, that's Kootenay, so I assume it may be the same in Kinbasket, but not 100% sure.

Bows are currently running 12-30ft over 55-80 fow for the most part. I am seeing the odd GOOD marks or two at 80-120ft over 120-180fow that I wondered if might be big bulls? I am going to drop one deep next outing to see if that is what they are. My bows have been coming on NK 28 and NK Mag spoons at a speed of around 2.7-2.9mph. Blue Dolphin seems to be the color they are hitting most. All strikes have come at 20' off the downrigger with a lead of 15-20 feet back of the ball. I was running longer leads to no avail so I shortened up and started getting hits right away.

[Smoky buck]

Originally Posted by Frank_NK28

None yet, kokanee haven't moved into the creek mouth areas too heavy yet though they are catching some that are starting to get a little tint in them now. The locals say watch the eagles, once they gather the kokanee are in the creeks. No grizzly's on the shores yet...pica are from yesterday in the Ptarmigan...

My main focus when visiting the area was hunting and fishing second so I was there in September or may/June when I fished it. We never put in much effort to learn the lake but we did decent when we did. But definitely didn’t put in effort to learn the fishing

So unfortunately I can’t offer too much more advice other then blue/silver and rainbow trout patterns and white worked best for us

As for the grizzly they are there in really good numbers but often in the hills a little more. I have seen them on the lake but they were there for Kokanee after they spawned out

Good luck I have lots of memories from the mountains around that lake

[Frank_NK28]

A few pics from this morning at the Valemount Marina. It's time to pull the boat home for the season on my next set of days off starting this Thursday. Going to hit Cold Lake once more than put her in storage and get after the geese....

[58thecat]

Dam, I am heading up to the mountains for some fly fishing but now I might pull the boat up too
Thx for sharing

[Frank_NK28]

Originally Posted by 58thecat

Dam, I am heading up to the mountains for some fly fishing but now I might pull the boat up too
Thx for sharing

The salmon have arrived and started spawning in the tributaries of the Fraser and North Thompson rivers. The bears have started coming doen to the rivers and eagles are increasing in numbers daily. Today at work I watched an Eagle eating a salmon dinner on a bank of the North Thompson River. This is a special place to say the least.