Cleland Lake in Regional District of East Kootenay: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Cleland Lake lies within the bounds of Regional District of East Kootenay, British Columbia. Land around it is pine and birch. Roughly 27 hectares: a morning covers one end, an afternoon the other. The full circuit measures close to 2.7 km on foot. Start from Radium Hot Springs, 33 km down the road. Invermere is 43 km and Golden 66 km. It sits well inside the county, so one set of rules covers it.

• Where to Fish on Cleland Lake

  Nothing in our records gives a depth for this one. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Records held for Regional District of East Kootenay cover rainbow trout, mountain whitefish, sockeye salmon, bull trout and longnose sucker. Several of these carry legal protection or closed seasons; the rulebook comes before the rod. Fish Cleland Lake to its features, not to its size.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-run averages give July about 15°C and January about -10°C. The season turns properly here, and fish follow it closely. Hard water holds through the cold months, breaking up near mid April. Ice usually gives way near mid April, and forms again about mid November. Early summer and early autumn carry the open-water season. Time your trip to Cleland Lake by conditions rather than dates.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing on record says whether the bank is open or closed. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. There is a campsite 310 m from the water. Light line and small metal for the trout; a fly rod earns its place on calm evenings. Rules for this water may differ from the county norm. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. Failing this one, try Topaz Lake, 1.3 km away. Confirm access to Cleland Lake locally before you travel.