Goathide Lake near Okanagan Mission: Fishing Spots, Seasons and Access

• Overview

  You will find Goathide Lake in Regional District of Kootenay-Boundary, British Columbia. Around the bank it is rolling bush. Surface area runs to about 2 hectares — small enough to read in one session. It is one of the smaller waters we list in Regional District of Kootenay-Boundary. Nearest town is Okanagan Mission, 33 km off. Rutland is 33 km and Ellison 36 km. It sits well inside its county, with no border complications.

• Where to Fish on Goathide Lake

  Depth is not on record here, which means reading the ground instead. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. County-wide records name rainbow trout, mountain whitefish, brook trout, longnose sucker and largescale sucker. Some of the species recorded here are protected or tightly regulated, so check what may be targeted before you fish. The shape of Goathide Lake rewards a slow walk along one bank.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Average temperature peaks around 14°C in August and bottoms out near -8°C in January. Winter shuts the surface down for months. Once it clears, about late April, the fishing comes on quickly. The water is typically free of ice between late April and mid November. Fishing peaks soon after break-up and again before the cold returns. The season on Goathide Lake follows the weather closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  No access rule appears in what we hold. Nothing is mapped in the way of a ramp or car park within a short radius. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Where the road in crosses private land, ask first. Some ground is open by custom rather than by right, so tread carefully. Duncan Lake, 6.3 km away, makes the obvious fallback. Check the position on Goathide Lake before loading the car.