Valhalla Lake, British Columbia: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  The Regional District of Central Kootenay entry here is Valhalla Lake, in British Columbia. Height above sea level is 2,096 metres. There is roughly 2.6 km of shoreline here, which is a short walk end to end. By elevation it is in the upper part of our British Columbia listings. Nelson at 44 km is the nearest place to stop. Kelowna sits 129 km out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. It sits well inside the county, so one set of rules covers it.

• Where to Fish on Valhalla Lake

  Our records carry no depth, so judge it from the bank. 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. Regional District of Central Kootenay records list rainbow trout, sockeye salmon, mountain whitefish and largescale sucker among the fish reported. Some of the species recorded here are protected or tightly regulated, so check what may be targeted before you fish. Fish Valhalla Lake to its features, not to its size.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Between December at about -10°C and August at about 11°C, the water has a wide range to work through. A hard winter is normal, and the thaw brings a strong few weeks. Ice-out usually falls in mid May, and the weeks after it fish hardest. Climate averages put the opening at about mid May and the closing near early November. Early summer and early autumn carry the open-water season. It holds true on Valhalla Lake more years than not.

• Tackle & Baits

  The paperwork position is blank for this one. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. Mapping records no facilities at all near this water. Light line and small metal for the trout; a fly rod earns its place on calm evenings. Parking space is the usual limit rather than the bank itself. Some water is controlled locally without a sign saying so. Should this one be busy, Drinnan Lake is 2.4 km off. Where Valhalla Lake is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.