Arrow Lakes
MU 4-32, Kootenays
50.1831° N, 117.8094° W
- Surface area
- 50000ha
- Elevation
- 440m
The collective name for Upper and Lower Arrow Lake, the Columbia River reservoir system running from Revelstoke down to Castlegar. Big, deep, cold water fished mainly by trolling for rainbow and bull trout, with levels that move through the season as BC Hydro draws the reservoir down and refills it. See the individual Upper Arrow and Lower Arrow entries for access and conditions on each.
Open Arrow Lakes in the appThe 7-day forecast, max depth and wildfire smoke check, on the lake's own coordinate.
Trophy fish at Arrow Lakes
Arrow Lakes is known for trophy Gerrard rainbow trout to 20 lb.
- Gerrard rainbow trout to 20 lb
- Bull trout to 15 lb
Trophy sizes this lake is known for, not a typical catch. They are historical records from our own big fish list, with no date on file, not recent catches.
Arrow Lakes at a glance
- Region
- Kootenays
- Management unit
- MU 4-32
- Species
- Rainbow Trout, Bull Trout, Kokanee, Burbot, Mountain Whitefish, Lake Whitefish, White Sturgeon, Yellow Perch, Brook Trout, Pygmy Whitefish, Whitefish (General), Westslope Cutthroat Trout (last recorded 1983), Walleye (last recorded 1982), Dolly Varden (last recorded 1981), Chum Salmon (last recorded 1949), Northern Pikeminnow, Peamouth Chub, Largescale Sucker, Sucker (General), Longnose Sucker, Prickly Sculpin, Redside Shiner, Sculpin (General), Slimy Sculpin, Minnow (General), Carp, Lamprey (General), Dace (General), Leopard Dace, Torrent Sculpin (last recorded 1982), Bridgelip Sucker (last recorded 1982), Lake Chub (last recorded 1982), Longnose Dace (last recorded 1982), Sturgeon (General) (last recorded 1982), Chiselmouth (formerly Chiselmouth Chub) (last recorded 1949), Chub (General) (last recorded 1949), Squanga (last recorded 1949)The newest of these fish records is from 2018.Species from the province's fish observation records.
- Lake size
- Large Water (> 500 ha)
- Ice fishing
- Open to ice fishing, confirmed
- Coordinates
- 50.1831, -117.8094
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Gear for Gerrard rainbow trout
Lines, leaders, lures and flies for Gerrard rainbow trout, searched on Amazon.ca.
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Fish on record at Arrow Lakes
| Species | First recorded | Last recorded | Records |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rainbow Trout | 1915 | 2017 | 124 |
| Bull Trout | 1976 | 2017 | 237 |
| Kokanee | 1930 | 2018 | 164 |
| Burbot | 1949 | 2017 | 587 |
| Mountain Whitefish | 1949 | 2017 | 374 |
| Lake Whitefish | 1930 | 2017 | 85 |
| White Sturgeon | 1979 | 2017 | 29 |
| Yellow Perch | 2010 | 2013 | 11 |
| Brook Trout | 1976 | 2011 | 6 |
| Pygmy Whitefish | 1979 | 2010 | 4 |
| Whitefish (General) | 2010 | 2010 | 1 |
| Walleye | 1982 | 1982 | 1 |
| Dolly Varden | 1949 | 1981 | 7 |
| Chum Salmon | 1949 | 1949 | 1 |
| Northern Pikeminnow | 1949 | 2017 | 240 |
| Peamouth Chub | 1976 | 2017 | 166 |
| Largescale Sucker | 1949 | 2017 | 91 |
| Sucker (General) | 1949 | 2017 | 50 |
| Longnose Sucker | 1949 | 2017 | 48 |
| Prickly Sculpin | 1949 | 2013 | 126 |
| Redside Shiner | 1979 | 2013 | 89 |
| Sculpin (General) | 2010 | 2013 | 84 |
| Slimy Sculpin | 1976 | 2013 | 40 |
| Minnow (General) | 2011 | 2011 | 10 |
| Carp | 1949 | 2011 | 8 |
| Lamprey (General) | 2010 | 2010 | 5 |
| Dace (General) | 2009 | 2009 | 1 |
| Leopard Dace | 1979 | 1998 | 3 |
| Torrent Sculpin | 1976 | 1982 | 4 |
| Bridgelip Sucker | 1979 | 1982 | 3 |
| Lake Chub | 1979 | 1982 | 3 |
| Longnose Dace | 1976 | 1982 | 3 |
| Sturgeon (General) | 1976 | 1982 | 2 |
| Chiselmouth (formerly Chiselmouth Chub) | 1949 | 1949 | 1 |
| Chub (General) | 1949 | 1949 | 1 |
| Squanga | 1949 | 1949 | 1 |
A year is when the Province last recorded the fish here, not a statement that it is caught today.
How to fish Arrow Lakes
Best times of year at Arrow Lakes
- May - June
- September - October
Arrow Lakes fishing regulations
We have no lake specific regulations on file for Arrow Lakes yet.
Getting to Arrow Lakes
Coordinates: 50.1831, -117.8094
Camping and rec sites at Arrow Lakes
- Nakusp Public Boat Launch & Marina (Upper Arrow Lake)
No vehicle campground at the launch itself; Village of Nakusp has nearby camping/RV options
Facilities: Public Boat Launch, Marina, Vehicle Parking
Access: Paved Highway 6 into the Village of Nakusp (2WD)
The ice year at Arrow Lakes, modelled
Modelled from air temperature, not an ice report. It says nothing about whether ice will hold you.
The model treats Arrow Lakes as too large and deep to freeze over, so it gives no freeze-up or ice-off dates. On air temperature alone it would have frozen in 65 of 65 winters since 1960.
Arrow Lakes is open to ice fishing under the regulations on file.
Whether a lake is open to ice fishing says nothing about whether its ice will hold you. Ice conditions vary year to year and across a single lake. Check locally before going out, every time.
Arrow Lakes climate, 1960 to 2025
Averaged over a year, the air above Arrow Lakes is 1.1 C warmer than it was in the 1960s. That is 66 years of daily readings, not a forecast.
- +1.1 Csince the 1960s
- 6.8 Caverage year now
- 5.6 Caverage year then
- -13 daysbelow freezing, change
each yearthe trend across 1960 to 2025
each yearthe trend across 1960 to 2025
This week at Arrow Lakes
The forecast on this lake's own coordinate, refreshed through the day. The app reads these seven days for fishing and scores each one.
| Day | Sky | High / low | Wind | Rain | Pressure |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tue 20 Oct | Fog | 12° / 0° | 7 km/h | dry | Steady |
| Wed 21 Oct | Overcast | 18° / 7° | 14 km/h | dry | Falling (-5.4 hPa) |
| Thu 22 Oct | Overcast | 18° / 6° | 10 km/h | dry | Falling (-4.0 hPa) |
| Fri 23 Oct | Overcast | 12° / 3° | 11 km/h | dry | Rising (+9.2 hPa) |
| Sat 24 Oct | Overcast | 11° / 2° | 5 km/h | dry | Rising (+10.2 hPa) |
| Sun 25 Oct | Clear sky | 11° / 0° | 6 km/h | dry | Rising (+2.5 hPa) |
| Mon 26 Oct | Overcast | 13° / 1° | 5 km/h | dry | Steady |
Arrow Lakes, in brief
What fish are in Arrow Lakes?
Rainbow Trout, Bull Trout, Kokanee, Burbot, Mountain Whitefish, Lake Whitefish, White Sturgeon, Yellow Perch, Brook Trout, Pygmy Whitefish, Whitefish (General), Westslope Cutthroat Trout (last recorded 1983), Walleye (last recorded 1982), Dolly Varden (last recorded 1981), Chum Salmon (last recorded 1949). Species from the province's fish observation records.
Which management unit is Arrow Lakes in?
Arrow Lakes is in MU 4-32, in the Kootenays. The BC Freshwater Fishing Regulations Synopsis is organised by management unit; check it before you go.
Trout lakes near Arrow Lakes
- Box Lake 7 km away
- Horseshoe Lake 13 km away
- Wilson Lake 14 km away
- Kimbol Lake 16 km away
- South Caribou Lake 16 km away
All 162 lakes in the Kootenays, with today's conditions on each.