Columbia Lake
MU 4-25, Kootenays
50.2261° N, 115.8511° W
- Surface area
- 2416.5ha
- Maximum depth
- 5.2m
- 17 ft
- Elevation
- 808m
Open Columbia Lake in the appThe 7-day forecast, max depth and wildfire smoke check, on the lake's own coordinate.
Trophy fish at Columbia Lake
Columbia Lake is known for trophy Rainbow trout to 6 lb.
- Rainbow trout to 6 lb
- Burbot to 6 lb
- Largemouth bass to 4 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.
Columbia Lake at a glance
- Region
- Kootenays
- Management unit
- MU 4-25
- Species
- Rainbow Trout, Burbot, Largemouth Bass, White Sturgeon, Mountain Whitefish, Westslope Cutthroat Trout (last recorded 1995), Bull Trout (last recorded 1992), Kokanee (last recorded 1992), Dolly Varden (last recorded 1977), Northern Pikeminnow, Peamouth Chub, Sculpin (General), Pumpkinseed, Floater Mussel (General), Winged Floater Mussel, Largescale Sucker (last recorded 1992), Redside Shiner (last recorded 1992), Longnose Sucker (last recorded 1992), Mottled Sculpin (last recorded 1992), Ninespine Stickleback (last recorded 1992), Prickly Sculpin (last recorded 1977), Torrent Sculpin (last recorded 1977), Longnose Dace (last recorded 1977)The province's newest fish record here is from 2016.Species from the province's fish observation records and angling reports.
- Lake size
- Large Water (> 500 ha)
- Ice fishing
- Open to ice fishing, confirmed
- Coordinates
- 50.2261, -115.8511
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Gear for rainbow trout
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Fish on record at Columbia Lake
| Species | First recorded | Last recorded | Records |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rainbow Trout | 1915 | 2001 | 49 |
| Burbot | 1958 | 2016 | 20 |
| White Sturgeon | 2001 | 2001 | 1 |
| Mountain Whitefish | 1958 | 1998 | 6 |
| Bull Trout | 1983 | 1992 | 2 |
| Kokanee | 1930 | 1992 | 2 |
| Dolly Varden | 1958 | 1977 | 4 |
| Northern Pikeminnow | 1958 | 2016 | 30 |
| Peamouth Chub | 1958 | 2016 | 7 |
| Sculpin (General) | 1998 | 2016 | 5 |
| Pumpkinseed | 1992 | 2016 | 3 |
| Floater Mussel (General) | 2007 | 2008 | 3 |
| Winged Floater Mussel | 2007 | 2007 | 1 |
| Largescale Sucker | 1972 | 1992 | 4 |
| Redside Shiner | 1972 | 1992 | 4 |
| Longnose Sucker | 1975 | 1992 | 3 |
| Mottled Sculpin | 1992 | 1992 | 1 |
| Ninespine Stickleback | 1992 | 1992 | 1 |
| Prickly Sculpin | 1977 | 1977 | 2 |
| Torrent Sculpin | 1975 | 1977 | 2 |
| Longnose Dace | 1977 | 1977 | 1 |
A year is when the Province last recorded the fish here, not a statement that it is caught today.
How to fish Columbia Lake
Best times of year at Columbia Lake
- May - June
- September - October
Columbia Lake fishing regulations
Burbot catch and release; bass daily quota = unlimited; speed restriction (10 km/h) near eastern shore and at south end, as buoyed and signed. Source: Province of British Columbia
Getting to Columbia Lake
0.5 km of traced road to the shore. The road at the end is a rough surface. It stops 790 m short of the shore.
Coordinates: 50.2261, -115.8511
Depth chart for Columbia Lake
5.2 mdeepest
Columbia Lake runs to 5.2 m (17 ft) at its deepest.
The Province sounded Columbia Lake and published the depth chart.
The ice year at Columbia Lake, modelled
Modelled from air temperature, not an ice report. It says nothing about whether ice will hold you.
In the model Columbia Lake froze in 65 of the 65 winters since 1960. Freeze-up falls most years between 6 November and 22 November, and ice-off between 2 April and 18 April. The median winter freezes on 13 November and opens on 9 April.
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 7 April 2025, 142 days.
Columbia 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.
Columbia Lake climate, 1960 to 2025
Averaged over a year, the air above Columbia Lake is 0.7 C warmer than it was in the 1960s. That is 66 years of daily readings, not a forecast.
- +0.7 Csince the 1960s
- 3.0 Caverage year now
- 2.3 Caverage year then
- -3 daysbelow freezing, change
each yearthe trend across 1960 to 2025
each yearthe trend across 1960 to 2025
This week at Columbia 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 | 13° / -1° | 14 km/h, gusts 25 | dry | Steady |
| Wed 21 Oct | Overcast | 19° / 4° | 17 km/h, gusts 31 | dry | Falling (-4.6 hPa) |
| Thu 22 Oct | Overcast | 16° / 4° | 12 km/h, gusts 23 | dry | Falling (-4.6 hPa) |
| Fri 23 Oct | Slight rain | 12° / 6° | 12 km/h, gusts 21 | 5 mm | Rising (+4.5 hPa) |
| Sat 24 Oct | Overcast | 9° / 1° | 14 km/h, gusts 22 | dry | Rising (+12.0 hPa) |
| Sun 25 Oct | Moderate drizzle | 7° / -1° | 9 km/h | 3 mm | Rising (+6.5 hPa) |
| Mon 26 Oct | Clear sky | 7° / -3° | 4 km/h | dry | Rising (+1.3 hPa) |
Columbia Lake, in brief
What fish are in Columbia Lake?
Rainbow Trout, Burbot, Largemouth Bass, White Sturgeon, Mountain Whitefish, Westslope Cutthroat Trout (last recorded 1995), Bull Trout (last recorded 1992), Kokanee (last recorded 1992), Dolly Varden (last recorded 1977). Species from the province's fish observation records and angling reports.
Which management unit is Columbia Lake in?
Columbia Lake is in MU 4-25, in the Kootenays. The BC Freshwater Fishing Regulations Synopsis is organised by management unit; check it before you go.
Trout lakes near Columbia Lake
- Whitetail Lake 13 km away
- Whitetail Lake 14 km away
- Alces (Moose) Lake 25 km away
- Windermere Lake 27 km away
- Whiteswan Lake 28 km away
All 162 lakes in the Kootenays, with today's conditions on each.