Summer Lake Fishing in Regional District of East Kootenay, British Columbia

• Overview

  Look for Summer Lake in the Regional District of East Kootenay part of British Columbia. Country round the bank runs to pine and birch. It measures about 75 hectares, which is a comfortable size for bank fishing. The full circuit measures close to 4.2 km on foot. Size puts it in the front rank of our Regional District of East Kootenay list. The nearest place of any size is Sparwood, 37 km away. The big place round here is Calgary, 171 km distant. This one is safely inside the county line.

• Where to Fish on Summer Lake

  No depth figure has reached our records, which makes a plummet useful. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. 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 Summer Lake rewards a slow walk along one bank.

• Seasonal Patterns

  On the long-term average, August reads 12°C and January reads -11°C. Spring and autumn carry the fishing; summer and winter test it. The lid usually goes in mid May, which opens the strongest weeks of the year. Climate figures give an open season running mid May to early November. Reckon on open water from spring through to late autumn, with May and June the strongest. That is the shape of the year on Summer Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access is not recorded for this water. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. A camping area sits within 960 m of here. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. Read any posted signs at the access point rather than assuming. Check whether bait restrictions apply before you buy any. Failing this one, try Ruault Lake, 4.2 km away. Rules at Summer Lake are worth checking on the day.