Lower Elk Lake
MU 4-23, Kootenays
50.5503° N, 115.0886° W
- Surface area
- 23.7ha
- Elevation
- 1,703m
Open Lower Elk Lake in the appThe 7-day forecast, max depth and wildfire smoke check, on the lake's own coordinate.
Lower Elk Lake at a glance
- Region
- Kootenays
- Management unit
- MU 4-23
- Species
- Westslope Cutthroat Trout (last recorded 1991), Bull Trout (last recorded 1993), Mountain Whitefish (last recorded 1991), Whitefish (General) (last recorded 1990), Sucker (General) (last recorded 1991), White Sucker (last recorded 1990)The newest of these fish records is from 1993.Species from the province's fish observation records.
- Lake size
- Small Water (< 50 ha)
- Ice fishing
- Closed to ice fishing
- Coordinates
- 50.5503, -115.0886
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Fish on record at Lower Elk Lake
| Species | First recorded | Last recorded | Records |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bull Trout | 1990 | 1993 | 2 |
| Mountain Whitefish | 1991 | 1991 | 1 |
| Whitefish (General) | 1990 | 1990 | 1 |
| Sucker (General) | 1990 | 1991 | 2 |
| White Sucker | 1990 | 1990 | 1 |
A year is when the Province last recorded the fish here, not a statement that it is caught today.
How to fish Lower Elk Lake
Best times of year at Lower Elk Lake
- May - June
- September - October
Lower Elk Lake fishing regulations
No Ice Fishing; trout/char daily quota = 2; bait ban, single barbless hook; no powered boats. Source: Province of British Columbia
Getting to Lower Elk Lake
Coordinates: 50.5503, -115.0886
The ice year at Lower Elk Lake, modelled
Modelled from air temperature, not an ice report. It says nothing about whether ice will hold you.
In the model Lower Elk Lake froze in 65 of the 65 winters since 1960. Freeze-up falls most years between 13 October and 30 October, and ice-off between 26 May and 10 June. The median winter freezes on 22 October and opens on 3 June.
the middle half of modelled winters the median ice cover in the median winter
Winter 2024-25 in the model: frozen from 28 October 2024 to 26 May 2025, 210 days.
Lower Elk 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.
Lower Elk Lake climate, 1960 to 2025
Averaged over a year, the air above Lower Elk Lake is 0.5 C warmer than it was in the 1960s. That is 66 years of daily readings, not a forecast.
- +0.5 Csince the 1960s
- 0.2 Caverage year now
- -0.3 Caverage year then
- -3 daysbelow freezing, change
each yearthe trend across 1960 to 2025
each yearthe trend across 1960 to 2025
This week at Lower Elk 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 | Clear sky | 0° / 0° | 5 km/h, gusts 37 | dry | Steady |
| Wed 21 Oct | Partly cloudy | 11° / 0° | 13 km/h, gusts 75 | dry | Falling (-5.2 hPa) |
| Thu 22 Oct | Overcast | 12° / 1° | 12 km/h, gusts 52 | dry | Falling (-4.7 hPa) |
| Fri 23 Oct | Moderate snow | 4° / -3° | 12 km/h, gusts 28 | 3 mm | Rising (+5.0 hPa) |
| Sat 24 Oct | Moderate snow | 3° / -5° | 5 km/h, gusts 27 | 5 mm | Rising (+11.2 hPa) |
| Sun 25 Oct | Moderate snow | 1° / -8° | 5 km/h, gusts 29 | 3 mm | Rising (+8.1 hPa) |
| Mon 26 Oct | Overcast | 5° / -11° | 2 km/h, gusts 8 | dry | Falling (-3.8 hPa) |
Lower Elk Lake, in brief
What fish are in Lower Elk Lake?
Westslope Cutthroat Trout (last recorded 1991), Bull Trout (last recorded 1993), Mountain Whitefish (last recorded 1991), Whitefish (General) (last recorded 1990). Species from the province's fish observation records.
Which management unit is Lower Elk Lake in?
Lower Elk Lake is in MU 4-23, in the Kootenays. The BC Freshwater Fishing Regulations Synopsis is organised by management unit; check it before you go.
Trout lakes near Lower Elk Lake
- Upper Elk Lake 1 km away
- Connor Lake 26 km away
- Fenwick Lake 38 km away
- Blue Lake 41 km away
- Munroe Lake 46 km away
All 162 lakes in the Kootenays, with today's conditions on each.