Tara Lake near Radium Hot Springs: Fishing Spots, Seasons and Access

• Overview

  Tara Lake falls in Regional District of East Kootenay, part of British Columbia. It stands 1,840 metres above sea level. It covers about 4 hectares, so this is small water you can walk round in under an hour. Most waters listed here for Regional District of East Kootenay are larger. Some 27 km away sits Radium Hot Springs, the nearest settlement. Calgary sits 173 km out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. It lies deep inside the county rather than near an edge.

• Where to Fish on Tara Lake

  Depth remains unrecorded, so treat the first session as a survey. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Records held for Regional District of East Kootenay cover rainbow trout, mountain whitefish, sockeye salmon and bull trout. Protected fish appear in the records for this area, so treat the list as information, not an invitation. Take Tara Lake a stretch at a time.

• Seasonal Patterns

  On the long-term average, August reads 10°C and January reads -12°C. The year runs cold to warm and back, with clear transitions. Ice fishing carries the winter, and the water opens about late May. The open-water window runs from around late May to about early November in an average year. Reckon on open water from spring through to late autumn, with May and June the strongest. The season on Tara Lake rarely departs from it.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public sources are silent on who controls the bank. No made access appears within a short radius, so plan to park on a verge and walk. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. Ask in the nearest town if you are unsure. Where parking is tight, arriving early solves most problems. Should this one be busy, Eire Lake is 1.2 km off. Confirm before you fish Tara Lake.