Opabin Lake in Columbia-Shuswap Regional District: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Opabin Lake is one of the Columbia-Shuswap Regional District waters in British Columbia. The setting is rolling bush. About 2 hectares of surface, which puts the far bank inside easy sight. It is a small entry by Columbia-Shuswap Regional District standards. Supplies mean a trip to Lake Louise, 13 km off. It is 158 km to Calgary, the nearest city. The nearest boundary is a fair way off.

• Where to Fish on Opabin Lake

  Nothing in our records gives a depth for this one. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Open biodiversity records for Columbia-Shuswap Regional District list sockeye salmon, Coho salmon, bull trout, brook trout and rainbow trout. At least one recorded species is protected in parts of its range; read the local rules before targeting anything. The near bank of Opabin Lake is often the one people ignore.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The seasonal spread runs -14°C to 8°C. Winter closes the water for a while, and the reopening is worth catching. Break-up comes around early June, and the run that follows is short and strong. Ice clears near early June and comes back about mid October in a typical year. The middle of summer slows a little, with dawn and dusk carrying it. That is the shape of the year on Opabin Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing in our records says who may fish here. There is no mapped parking or launch close by, which usually means walking in. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Rules for this water may differ from the county norm. Rules for boats are stricter than rules for the bank in many places. Failing this one, try Hungabee Lake, 0.6 km away. Nothing on Opabin Lake should be assumed from this page alone.