Kootenay Lake Fishing Report
By Contributor
From the West Kootenays to the West Coast, Reel Adventures Sportfishing has got it covered.
It’s that time of year when we send one boat to the coast and reserve three vessels for Kootenay Lake.
Here’s your latest fishing reports:
Kootenay Lake:
The month of June provided some pretty good fishing throughout. Lots of Rainbows and the odd Bull Trout were caught. Water temps remained perfect, as the weather remained cool.
Although now, we have hit the heat wave and the water temps are rising fast. That’s good news if you’re going swimming. But, the fishing has slowed down a bit. We are now into our normal Summer fishing. Hot days and warmer water means the fish are moving deeper.
However, in saying that, we have actually hooked some pretty decent fish in the middle of the day lately. Most fish are more aggressive in the mornings, so it’s best to get out there early and also beat the heat.
Some Rainbows up to 7 pounds and Bull Trout up to 17 pounds have come in lately. So, it’s still worth getting out. Let’s go……
West Coast Salmon Fishing:
Our West Coast fishing is on fire!!
Most years it starts off slow and then ramps up. However, this year has been on fire right from the start.
Chinook Salmon up to 35 pounds have already been caught, and Coho Salmon are abundant already.
The Halibut fishing has been consistent, and the Ling Cod/Rock Cod fishery has been a blast.
Too much fun already. It’s hard to explain to the new comers, but once you’ve seen the fishery in Ucluelet, you’ve been ruined.
While we’ve only been here a few weeks, it’s been a blast. And if the forecasts are correct, this is going to be an amazing summer.
We still have one single day available, as well as a bunch of afternoon trips if you’re going to be in the area and would like to get out.
Give us a shout.
What they are biting on:
On the lake, it’s still been good fishing on the surface. Although the lines are getting covered in algae now, so you’ll have to keep cleaning them up.
Lux Flies #215, 226, 228 have been working best for us on the choppy days. And on the calm days, we’re still using our favourite Gibbs Croc on the surface.
Bull Trout are biting on the STS flasher with green spatterback hoochie. Depths between 80 – 120 feet have been working best.
On the Ocean, it’s been a mixed bag of everything. It all depends on where we are fishing that day, and what the local bait is. Our favourite flasher for the past few years has been the Blue Footloose. And lately, the Skinny G has been killing it. Favourite patterns have been the Tailspin and Killy Magee.
Also working well has been the Kingfisher spoons in 3″, as the bait has been small. Favourite patterns have been: white lightning, herring aid, cookies & cream, and maverick.
For our Ling Cod, we’ve been killing it with the Jumbo Anchovy jigs on our spinning rods. What a blast that has been.
And the Gibbs Paddle tails have pulled up quite a few big ones, including our biggest Halibut lately. (while fishing for Ling)
That’s enough for now. Not much time to update the reports, as we are fishing everyday.
Hope this helps with your next adventure.
Tight lines………….
Kerry Reed, Reel Adventures Sportfishing
