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

• Overview

  Larsen Lake is set in Regional District of East Kootenay, British Columbia. What surrounds it is rolling bush. It runs to roughly 33 hectares — big enough to hold fish away from the bank, small enough to learn. The edge runs 2.4 km or so, easy to work in an afternoon. Kimberley at 43 km is the nearest place to stop. It is 162 km to Calgary, the nearest city. No county line comes close, which keeps the paperwork simple.

• Where to Fish on Larsen Lake

  Depth is not on record here, so the bank has to tell you. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. County-wide records name rainbow trout, mountain whitefish, sockeye salmon, bull trout and longnose sucker. Some of the species recorded here are protected or tightly regulated, so check what may be targeted before you fish. Larsen Lake responds to conditions more than to tactics.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Climate normals give 16°C for August and -9°C for January. Cold locks it up for a good stretch each year. Count on hard cover from midwinter, and open water from mid April. In an average year the thaw lands around mid April and the freeze near late November. From the thaw to midsummer the fishing improves week by week. The season on Larsen Lake follows the weather closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  There is no clear statement anywhere on who can fish it. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. Access is unmapped, which usually means a farm track and a walk. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Check whether a boat is allowed before you tow one. Keep proof of licence with you rather than in the car. Johnson Lake sits 7.8 km off and takes the overflow. Nothing here settles the position at Larsen Lake for certain.