Big Fish (Dunbar) Lake
MU 4-34, Kootenays
50.7867° N, 116.3872° W
- Surface area
- 21.9ha
- Maximum depth
- 21m
- 69 ft
- Elevation
- 1,116m
- Campsites
- 4
- At Bigfish (Dunbar) Lake rec site
Open Big Fish (Dunbar) Lake in the appThe 7-day forecast, max depth and wildfire smoke check, on the lake's own coordinate.
Big Fish (Dunbar) Lake at a glance
- Region
- Kootenays
- Management unit
- MU 4-34
- Species
- Rainbow Trout, Westslope Cutthroat Trout (last recorded 1995)The newest of these fish records is from 2026.Species from the province's fish observation records.
- Lake size
- Small Water (< 50 ha)
- Ice fishing
- Open to ice fishing, confirmed
- Coordinates
- 50.7867, -116.3872
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Gear for rainbow trout
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Fish on record at Big Fish (Dunbar) Lake
| Species | First recorded | Last recorded | Records |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rainbow Trout | 1995 | 2026 | 18 |
A year is when the Province last recorded the fish here, not a statement that it is caught today.
How to fish Big Fish (Dunbar) Lake
Best times of year at Big Fish (Dunbar) Lake
- May - June
- September - October
Big Fish (Dunbar) Lake fishing regulations
Brook trout daily quota = 20; engine power restriction - 7.5 kW (10 hp). Source: Province of British Columbia
Getting to Big Fish (Dunbar) Lake
18.0 km of traced road to the campground by way of Bugaboo Cartwright Rd, Westside Rd, Bugaboo Creek FSR and Brisco Rd. The road at the end is a loose surface.
Coordinates: 50.7867, -116.3872
Camping and rec sites at Big Fish (Dunbar) Lake
- Bigfish (Dunbar) Lake
- Campsites
- 4 designated
- To the shore
- 39 m
Access: Access is by 2wd vehicle to this roadside and lakeside campsite. From Brisco or Radium travel west to Westside Road. At the 44km mark on the Westside road turn left. Pass Twin Lakes Recreation Site and after 2kms you will arrive at Dunbar Lake. Generally the road is 2wd access but can be rutted and wet.
Coordinates: 50.787224, -116.383428
Depth chart for Big Fish (Dunbar) Lake
21 mdeepest
Big Fish (Dunbar) Lake runs to 21 m (69 ft) at its deepest.
The Province sounded Big Fish (Dunbar) Lake and published the depth chart surveyed in 1969.
The ice year at Big Fish (Dunbar) Lake, modelled
Modelled from air temperature, not an ice report. It says nothing about whether ice will hold you.
In the model Big Fish (Dunbar) Lake froze in 65 of the 65 winters since 1960. Freeze-up falls most years between 29 October and 11 November, and ice-off between 21 April and 8 May. The median winter freezes on 6 November and opens on 1 May.
the middle half of modelled winters the median ice cover in the median winter
Winter 2024-25 in the model: frozen from 16 November 2024 to 15 April 2025, 150 days.
Big Fish (Dunbar) Lake 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.
Big Fish (Dunbar) Lake climate, 1960 to 2025
Averaged over a year, the air above Big Fish (Dunbar) Lake is 0.8 C warmer than it was in the 1960s. That is 66 years of daily readings, not a forecast.
- +0.8 Csince the 1960s
- -4.3 Caverage year now
- -5.1 Caverage year then
- -7 daysbelow freezing, change
each yearthe trend across 1960 to 2025
each yearthe trend across 1960 to 2025
This week at Big Fish (Dunbar) Lake
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 | Partly cloudy | 12° / -2° | 8 km/h, gusts 18 | dry | Steady |
| Wed 21 Oct | Overcast | 18° / 3° | 13 km/h, gusts 22 | dry | Falling (-5.2 hPa) |
| Thu 22 Oct | Overcast | 12° / 3° | 11 km/h, gusts 24 | dry | Falling (-4.2 hPa) |
| Fri 23 Oct | Light drizzle | 9° / 1° | 18 km/h | 1 mm | Rising (+5.4 hPa) |
| Sat 24 Oct | Overcast | 5° / -1° | 15 km/h | dry | Rising (+13.5 hPa) |
| Sun 25 Oct | Light drizzle | 5° / -2° | 6 km/h | dry | Rising (+4.4 hPa) |
| Mon 26 Oct | Mainly clear | 6° / -3° | 6 km/h | dry | Steady |
Big Fish (Dunbar) Lake, in brief
What fish are in Big Fish (Dunbar) Lake?
Rainbow Trout, Westslope Cutthroat Trout (last recorded 1995). Species from the province's fish observation records.
Which management unit is Big Fish (Dunbar) Lake in?
Big Fish (Dunbar) Lake is in MU 4-34, in the Kootenays. The BC Freshwater Fishing Regulations Synopsis is organised by management unit; check it before you go.
Trout lakes near Big Fish (Dunbar) Lake
- Twin Lakes 2 km away
- Botts Lake 2 km away
- Halfway Lake 3 km away
- Leadqueen Lake 3 km away
- Cartwright Lake 4 km away
All 162 lakes in the Kootenays, with today's conditions on each.