Idlewild Lake
MU 4-3, Kootenays
49.4983° N, 115.7281° W
- Surface area
- 1.7ha
- Elevation
- 998m
Open Idlewild Lake in the appThe 7-day forecast, max depth and wildfire smoke check, on the lake's own coordinate.
Idlewild Lake at a glance
- Region
- Kootenays
- Management unit
- MU 4-3
- Species
- Rainbow TroutSpecies from the province's fish observation records.
- Lake size
- Small Water (< 50 ha)
- Ice fishing
- Closed to ice fishing
- Coordinates
- 49.498303, -115.728116
Affiliate link: we may earn a commission
Gear for rainbow trout
Lines, leaders, lures and flies for rainbow trout, searched on Amazon.ca.
Search Amazon.caAs an Amazon Associate, BC Trout Finder earns from qualifying purchases.
Fish on record at Idlewild Lake
| Species | First recorded | Last recorded | Records |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rainbow Trout | 1987 | 2017 | 68 |
A year is when the Province last recorded the fish here, not a statement that it is caught today.
Idlewild Lake fishing regulations
No Ice Fishing; Youth/Disabled Accompanied Water year round (see the synopsis). Source: Province of British Columbia
Getting to Idlewild Lake
4.2 km of traced road to the shore by way of 9th St S, Summit Dr, 7th St S, 27A Ave S, 3rd St S, 27th Ave S, 2nd St S, Victoria Ave S, Victoria Ave N and 6th St N. The road at the end is a paved surface. It stops 190 m short of the shore.
Coordinates: 49.498303, -115.728116
The ice year at Idlewild Lake, modelled
Modelled from air temperature, not an ice report. It says nothing about whether ice will hold you.
In the model Idlewild Lake froze in 65 of the 65 winters since 1960. Freeze-up falls most years between 3 November and 18 November, and ice-off between 16 April and 5 May. The median winter freezes on 9 November and opens on 25 April.
the middle half of modelled winters the median ice cover in the median winter
Winter 2024-25 in the model: frozen from 19 November 2024 to 27 March 2025, 128 days.
Idlewild Lake is closed to ice fishing.
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.
Idlewild Lake climate, 1960 to 2025
Averaged over a year, the air above Idlewild Lake is 1.2 C warmer than it was in the 1960s. That is 66 years of daily readings, not a forecast.
- +1.2 Csince the 1960s
- 5.9 Caverage year now
- 4.7 Caverage year then
- -13 daysbelow freezing, change
each yearthe trend across 1960 to 2025
each yearthe trend across 1960 to 2025
This week at Idlewild 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° | 12 km/h | dry | Steady |
| Wed 21 Oct | Overcast | 19° / 7° | 12 km/h, gusts 22 | dry | Falling (-4.0 hPa) |
| Thu 22 Oct | Light drizzle | 15° / 3° | 10 km/h, gusts 16 | dry | Falling (-4.9 hPa) |
| Fri 23 Oct | Slight rain | 14° / 5° | 8 km/h, gusts 15 | 4 mm | Rising (+2.6 hPa) |
| Sat 24 Oct | Overcast | 8° / 0° | 11 km/h | dry | Rising (+14.3 hPa) |
| Sun 25 Oct | Overcast | 7° / -3° | 7 km/h | dry | Rising (+5.3 hPa) |
| Mon 26 Oct | Clear sky | 8° / -3° | 7 km/h | dry | Rising (+1.1 hPa) |
Idlewild Lake, in brief
What fish are in Idlewild Lake?
Rainbow Trout. Species from the province's fish observation records.
How big is Idlewild Lake?
Idlewild Lake covers about 1.7 ha, by the province's Freshwater Atlas.
Which management unit is Idlewild Lake in?
Idlewild Lake is in MU 4-3, in the Kootenays. The BC Freshwater Fishing Regulations Synopsis is organised by management unit; check it before you go.
Trout lakes near Idlewild Lake
- Jim Smith Lake 9 km away
- New Lake 9 km away
- Hiawatha Lake 15 km away
- Palmer Bar Lake 16 km away
- Horseshoe Lake 17 km away
All 162 lakes in the Kootenays, with today's conditions on each.