Milford Lake, British Columbia: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  British Columbia holds Milford Lake, in Regional District of Central Kootenay. Height above sea level is 1,475 metres. Surface area runs to about 3 hectares — small enough to read in one session. Our Regional District of Central Kootenay list holds plenty of bigger water. Nearest place of any size is Kaslo, 11 km away. Kelowna sits 184 km out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. There is no boundary nearby to worry about.

• Where to Fish on Milford Lake

  Without a survey to go on, judge depth from how the bank falls away. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Open biodiversity records for Regional District of Central Kootenay list rainbow trout, sockeye salmon, mountain whitefish, largescale sucker and cutthroat trout. Protected fish appear in the records for this area, so treat the list as information, not an invitation. Milford Lake gives up more to patience than to distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages here run 14°C at the top of summer and -8°C at the bottom of winter. Cold locks it up for a good stretch each year. Break-up comes around late April, and the run that follows is short and strong. On average, late April opens the water and mid November closes it again. The strong weeks are the first after break-up and the last before the freeze. On Milford Lake that shapes the whole year.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access status is simply unknown for this water. A campsite is mapped about 180 m away, which makes an early start easier. Light line and small metal for the trout; a fly rod earns its place on calm evenings. Bank access can be seasonal on ground like this. Close seasons apply to some species and not others. Clute Lake sits 6.5 km off and takes the overflow. Check the current arrangement for Milford Lake.