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Game Fish Species in British Columbia
Although some lakes are home to only one species of fish, others may contain a dozen or more. Some interior and northern BC lakes have mixed, healthy stocks of rainbow trout, kokanee, lake trout, Dolly Varden, mountain whitefish, lake whitefish and burbot. The fall months herald the arrival of sea-run steelhead, sockeye, chinook and coho salmon on their spawning runs.
Several lakes on southern Vancouver Island and Salt Spring Island have mixed stocks of rainbow and coastal cutthroat trout co-existing with smallmouth bass and pumpkinseed sunfish.
During a typical year, spring trout fishing starts right after ice-out (May) with a flurry of fast action. As water temperatures warm, insect hatches begin and the fun never ends.
Fish Species
Trout
Trout of 16 kg (35 lb) have been taken by sport fishers, but they can grow much larger. A Gerrard introduced into Jewel Lake, near Greenwood, weighed 23.6 kg (52 lb) when netted in the 1930s. Gerrards are now stocked in several lakes throughout the interior.
Anglers consider rainbow trout in one of its three guises the most popular fish: Kamloops trout, Gerrard rainbows, and sea-run steelhead. No other fish stirs the blood like steelhead - large, super-charged, sea-run rainbow trout.
Their size, strength, speed and stamina are considered the ultimate challenge by legions of freshwater anglers. No other place in the world offers them in such abundance as BC - or in such varied fishing situations. Steelhead are found in creeks and streams throughout the coastal regions, Vancouver Island and the Queen Charlotte Islands, and in major river systems like the Fraser, Bella Coola, Skeena, Nass, and Stikine, as well as the world renowned Thompson.
There are two strains of steelhead: winter-run and summer-run, but spawning migrations often overlap. Many rivers contain both, but some have only one or the other.
Closely related to rainbows are two other species of trout native to BC: coastal and westslope cutthroat trout, commonly called "cutts." Both species are opportunistic feeders, but their diet tends to favour small fish over aquatic insects. Coastal cutthroat are present in most lakes and rivers along the coastal mainland and offshore islands, and wherever accessible to saltwater they are often anadromous. It is not uncommon for anglers to encounter these heavily-spotted trout while fishing for steelhead. Although popular with fly fishers, large lake-dwelling cutthroat - a few up to 5 kg (11 lb) or more - are usually taken by deep trolling with plugs.
Westslope cutthroat originated in the Kootenays of southwest BC, but have been successfully stocked in many lakes in the Okanagan. Although trout in high alpine lakes are seldom large, they reach very respectable sizes in lower elevation lakes and streams in the Kootenays, where they are popular with fly fishers.
Brown trout have a very limited range in BC but are known to reach weights of up to 6 kg (13 lb) in Cowichan and Cameron lakes on Vancouver Island. Browns are also caught in the Cowichan River, and to a lesser degree in the Little Qualicum and Adams rivers. They are also present in the Kettle River in the Okanagan.
Dolly Varden are present in many coastal lakes and streams, and are often caught while fishing for coastal cutthroat or rainbow trout. The large bull trout are more common in interior and northern BC waters.
Lake trout are common in most large lakes throughout central, eastern and northern BC. Known to reach weights of 15 kg (33 lb) and more, they are usually caught by deep trolling with large spoons.
Introduced brook trout do well in various lakes throughout the province, attaining weights of over 3 kg (6.6 lb) in some waters. They bite on a wide range of baits, lures and flies, and are especially popular during winter ice fisheries.
Kamloops trout are considered the highest-jumping, most acrobatic of any trout in the world. Native to the south-central and central interior regions, they reach marvellous sizes and provide excellent sport.
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Salmon
Kokanee, a landlocked strain of sockeye salmon, are distributed throughout the province, often sharing the same lakes as rainbow trout. They are most abundant in the Thompson-Okanagan, Cariboo Chilcotin Coast and Kootenay regions, and the present world record of 4.2 kg (9.2 lb) was taken from Okanagan Lake in 1988. Although some fly fishers successfully target kokanee, most are caught by trolling with small lures.
Sockeye salmon opportunities also exist in freshwater. This great eating fish is available to anglers in "in-river" fisheries involving fly rod and regular gear.
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Sturgeon
White sturgeon are found in most large drainages into the Pacific Ocean. The largest of North America's freshwater fish, sturgeon grow to awesome sizes. One from the Fraser River was 818 kg (1,800 lb). Their sheer size dictates that sturdy tackle be used to handle them, and when hooked they are brutally powerful fighters that often clear the water in explosive jumps.
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Bass
There are healthy populations of smallmouth bass in the Kootenays, Okanagan, southern Vancouver Island and Salt Spring Island. They are particular favourites with light tackle specialists who fish floating lures or flies right on the surface. When hooked, these game battlers put up a fast-paced, stubborn fight, often with lots of aerobatics.
Largemouth bass are popular in the Kootenays and Okanagan. They willingly take baits and lures, but fly fishers do amazingly well during the summer by fishing weedless, floating patterns right in the dense weed beds. Duck Lake is especially good.
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Other Species
Walleye are native to the Peace region, but have since appeared in the south Kootenay via the Columbia River from stocks originally introduced in Washington. Fish of up to 6.3 kg (13.8 lb) have been reported from below Keenleyside Dam. These fish prefer deep, dark pools and are best tempted with fresh baits or deep-diving lures.
Carp attract aficionados from as far away as England and New Zealand. Most use bait to tempt them, but there is a growing fly fishery for carp. Northern BC offers Arctic grayling fishing that is unmatched anywhere for the abundance and size of fish, especially in remote locations that receive light fishing pressure. When large schools are encountered, they provide non-stop action for anglers casting ultralight spinning lures or flies.
Many northern BC lakes yield trophy pike to 15 kg (33 lb) or more. Most anglers prefer casting or trolling with large spoons, but these toothy creatures also take long, slinky fly patterns. Large fish are noted for their hard, wrist-jolting strikes, and when hooked they put up a savage, determined fight.
Other popular species include burbot, a type of freshwater cod; mountain and lake whitefish, which are indigenous only to mainland BC; yellow perch in the Okanagan, Kootenay and Peace regions, and goldeye, which are found only in the Peace region. In addition, black crappie are present in some south Okanagan lakes, and several small lakes and sloughs in the Fraser Valley yield these popular panfish in trophy sizes. All are part of the abundance and variety that makes BC the finest freshwater fishing destination in the world.
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Fish Species
