Premier Lake, British Columbia: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Premier Lake is one of the Regional District of East Kootenay listings for British Columbia. The bank is 870 metres above sea level. At some 2.08 sq km it is far too large to cover on foot in a day. The margin runs to about 8.9 km in total. It ranks high for size among our Regional District of East Kootenay listings. Kimberley at 38 km is the nearest place to stop. The big place round here is Calgary, 166 km distant. No border sits close enough to matter.

• Where to Fish on Premier Lake

  There is no recorded depth, so work from what you can see. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. County-wide records name rainbow trout, mountain whitefish, sockeye salmon and bull trout. Several of these carry legal protection or closed seasons; the rulebook comes before the rod. The shape of Premier Lake rewards a slow walk along one bank.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The seasonal spread runs -10°C to 15°C. A full turn of seasons, with the strongest sport on either side of summer. The lid usually sets by midwinter and gives way around mid April. The water is typically free of ice between mid April and mid November. Early summer and early autumn carry the open-water season. Premier Lake runs to its own calendar within the local pattern.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access is not recorded for this water. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. There is no mapped parking or launch close by, which usually means walking in. Light line and small metal for the trout; a fly rod earns its place on calm evenings. Some banks are open only from a marked point. Fishing rules and camping rules are set separately here. Canuck Lake, 2.9 km away, makes the obvious fallback. Signs at Premier Lake carry more weight than any list.