Elbow Lake, British Columbia: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Elbow Lake lies in Regional District of North Okanagan, in British Columbia. It sits at 945 metres above sea level. Small at around 2 hectares: two anglers spread out cover most of it. On size it sits at the modest end of our Regional District of North Okanagan list. Head to Grindrod, 22 km away, for anything you forgot. It is 97 km to Kelowna, the nearest city. The nearest boundary is a fair way off.

• Where to Fish on Elbow Lake

  Without a survey to go on, judge depth from how the bank falls away. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Reported across Regional District of North Okanagan: Coho salmon, sockeye salmon, Chinook salmon, rainbow trout and brook trout. Several of these carry legal protection or closed seasons; the rulebook comes before the rod. Work Elbow Lake in sections rather than trying to cover it.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Temperature averages peak at 17°C in July and bottom out at -5°C in January. Seasons are distinct, and each one fishes differently. The freeze runs deep into the year, with break-up near late March. The lid tends to go about late March and return around early December. Look to early summer and the first cool weeks of autumn. Elbow Lake runs to that rhythm year in and year out.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing on record says whether the bank is open or closed. Mapping shows a campsite some 50 m from the water. Light line and small metal for the trout; a fly rod earns its place on calm evenings. Look for a notice board at the entrance. Barbless rules turn up on managed water more often than not. Grassy Lake, 1.3 km away, makes the obvious fallback. Check the position at Elbow Lake before loading the car.