Okanagan Lake
MU 8-10, Okanagan
49.9206° N, 119.4997° W
- Surface area
- 34988.9ha
- Maximum depth
- 242m
- 794 ft
- Elevation
- 339m
Okanagan Lake runs the length of the Okanagan Valley, nearly 35,000 hectares of open water and 232 m at its deepest. It is big-boat water that rewards covering ground, holding wild rainbows, lake trout and burbot rather than a stocked population.
Open Okanagan Lake in the appThe 7-day forecast, max depth and wildfire smoke check, on the lake's own coordinate.
Trophy fish at Okanagan Lake
Okanagan Lake is known for trophy Lake trout to 20 lb.
- Rainbow trout to 15 lb
- Lake trout to 20 lb
- Burbot to 10 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.
Okanagan Lake at a glance
- Region
- Okanagan
- Management unit
- MU 8-10
- Species
- Rainbow Trout, Lake Trout (last recorded 1995), Burbot, Smallmouth Bass, Perch (General), Yellow Perch, Mountain Whitefish, Bull Trout, Kokanee, Lake Whitefish (last recorded 1995), Brook Trout (last recorded 1995), Pygmy Whitefish (last recorded 1995), Whitefish (General) (last recorded 1995), Cutthroat Trout (last recorded 1913), Slimy Sculpin, Pumpkinseed, Floater Mussel (General), Western Ridged Mussel, Prickly Sculpin, Redside Shiner, Largescale Sucker, Western Floater Mussel, Northern Pikeminnow, Sculpin (General), Longnose Dace, Winged Floater Mussel, Longnose Sucker, Lake Chub, Peamouth Chub, Sucker (General), Minnow (General), Carp, Fingernail Clam (General), Chub (General), Dace (General) (last recorded 1995), Leopard Dace (last recorded 1990), Chiselmouth (formerly Chiselmouth Chub) (last recorded 1990)The newest of these fish records is from 2023.Species from the province's fish observation records.
- Lake size
- Large Water (> 500 ha)
- Catch and release
- Yes
- Ice fishing
- Open to ice fishing, confirmed
- Coordinates
- 49.9206, -119.4997
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Gear for lake trout
Lines, leaders, lures and flies for lake trout, searched on Amazon.ca.
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What people catch at Okanagan Lake
Rainbow trout. A Kelowna charter reports landing rainbows of 3 to 18 lb in its best fall season. Fishing with Rod names trolled bucktails and Lyman plugs as the two most popular techniques.
- Rainbow Trout
Bigger fish: 3 to 18 lb, in a charter's best fall season
Source: Rodney's REEL Outdoors
Trolled bucktails and Lyman plugs are the two most popular techniques. Source: Fishing with Rod
The rule that shapes it. Rainbow trout daily quota = 2 (only one over 50 cm), bass daily quota = 8, yellow perch daily quota = 20; Speed restrictions or no vessels (as buoyed and signed), various locations. Source: Province of British Columbia
Fish on record at Okanagan Lake
| Species | First recorded | Last recorded | Records |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rainbow Trout | 1919 | 2020 | 75 |
| Lake Trout | 1995 | 1995 | 1 |
| Burbot | 1995 | 2016 | 3 |
| Smallmouth Bass | 2014 | 2020 | 3 |
| Perch (General) | 2015 | 2018 | 5 |
| Yellow Perch | 1995 | 2015 | 15 |
| Mountain Whitefish | 1943 | 2015 | 9 |
| Bull Trout | 2012 | 2014 | 2 |
| Kokanee | 1928 | 2011 | 37 |
| Lake Whitefish | 1901 | 1995 | 5 |
| Brook Trout | 1941 | 1995 | 4 |
| Pygmy Whitefish | 1990 | 1995 | 2 |
| Whitefish (General) | 1951 | 1995 | 2 |
| Cutthroat Trout | 1913 | 1913 | 1 |
| Slimy Sculpin | 1990 | 2023 | 19 |
| Pumpkinseed | 1999 | 2023 | 8 |
| Floater Mussel (General) | 2005 | 2022 | 151 |
| Western Ridged Mussel | 1906 | 2022 | 140 |
| Prickly Sculpin | 1943 | 2022 | 103 |
| Redside Shiner | 1975 | 2022 | 100 |
| Largescale Sucker | 1975 | 2022 | 24 |
| Western Floater Mussel | 2007 | 2022 | 13 |
| Northern Pikeminnow | 1951 | 2021 | 68 |
| Sculpin (General) | 2007 | 2020 | 53 |
| Longnose Dace | 1990 | 2020 | 15 |
| Winged Floater Mussel | 2012 | 2020 | 6 |
| Longnose Sucker | 1990 | 2020 | 5 |
| Lake Chub | 2019 | 2020 | 3 |
| Peamouth Chub | 1951 | 2019 | 14 |
| Sucker (General) | 1975 | 2018 | 7 |
| Minnow (General) | 2011 | 2017 | 8 |
| Carp | 1951 | 2015 | 9 |
| Fingernail Clam (General) | 2012 | 2012 | 1 |
| Chub (General) | 2007 | 2007 | 1 |
| Dace (General) | 1995 | 1995 | 1 |
| Leopard Dace | 1984 | 1990 | 3 |
| Chiselmouth (formerly Chiselmouth Chub) | 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 Okanagan Lake
The trophy rainbows are a fall fishery, taken trolling bucktails and plugs over open water rather than working the shoals. Through the rest of the season rainbows run 2 to 4 lb.
Best times of year at Okanagan Lake
- May - June
- September - October
Okanagan Lake fishing regulations
Rainbow trout daily quota = 2 (only one over 50 cm), bass daily quota = 8, yellow perch daily quota = 20; Speed restrictions or no vessels (as buoyed and signed), various locations. Source: Province of British Columbia
Getting to Okanagan Lake
Coordinates: 49.9206, -119.4997
Camping and rec sites at Okanagan Lake
- Cook Road Public Boat Launch (Kelowna)
No vehicle campground at the launch; multiple provincial parks and resorts ring the lake
Facilities: Public Boat Launch, Paid Parking, Vehicle/Trailer Parking
Access: Paved, 500 Cook Road, Kelowna (2WD), beside the Hotel Eldorado
Depth chart for Okanagan Lake
242 mdeepest75.3 mmean
Okanagan Lake runs to 242 m (794 ft) at its deepest.
The Province sounded Okanagan Lake and published the depth chart. It runs to 6 sheets.
The ice year at Okanagan Lake, modelled
Modelled from air temperature, not an ice report. It says nothing about whether ice will hold you.
The model treats Okanagan Lake 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.
Okanagan 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.
Okanagan Lake climate, 1960 to 2025
Averaged over a year, the air above Okanagan Lake is 1.3 C warmer than it was in the 1960s. That is 66 years of daily readings, not a forecast.
- +1.3 Csince the 1960s
- 8.9 Caverage year now
- 7.6 Caverage year then
- -17 daysbelow freezing, change
each yearthe trend across 1960 to 2025
each yearthe trend across 1960 to 2025
This week at Okanagan 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 | Overcast | 15° / 0° | 7 km/h, gusts 13 | dry | Steady |
| Wed 21 Oct | Overcast | 20° / 7° | 12 km/h | dry | Falling (-6.1 hPa) |
| Thu 22 Oct | Overcast | 19° / 7° | 11 km/h | dry | Falling (-3.1 hPa) |
| Fri 23 Oct | Overcast | 13° / 4° | 17 km/h, gusts 27 | dry | Rising (+11.9 hPa) |
| Sat 24 Oct | Overcast | 11° / 1° | 8 km/h | dry | Rising (+7.7 hPa) |
| Sun 25 Oct | Overcast | 10° / 0° | 7 km/h | dry | Rising (+2.7 hPa) |
| Mon 26 Oct | Overcast | 11° / -1° | 6 km/h | dry | Steady |
Okanagan Lake, in brief
What fish are in the Okanagan Lake?
Rainbow Trout, Lake Trout (last recorded 1995), Burbot, Smallmouth Bass, Perch (General), Yellow Perch, Mountain Whitefish, Bull Trout, Kokanee, Lake Whitefish (last recorded 1995), Brook Trout (last recorded 1995), Pygmy Whitefish (last recorded 1995), Whitefish (General) (last recorded 1995), Cutthroat Trout (last recorded 1913). Species from the province's fish observation records.
Which management unit is Okanagan Lake in?
Okanagan Lake is in MU 8-10, in the Okanagan. The BC Freshwater Fishing Regulations Synopsis is organised by management unit; check it before you go.
Trout lakes near Okanagan Lake
- Rose Valley Reservoir 5 km away
- Shannon Lake 11 km away
- Ellison Lake 11 km away
- Frazer Lake 14 km away
- Lambly (Bear) Lake 15 km away
All 212 lakes in the Okanagan, with today's conditions on each.