Shuswap Lake
MU 3-26, Thompson-Nicola
50.9467° N, 119.0113° W
- Surface area
- 30960ha
- Maximum depth
- 161m
- 528 ft
- Elevation
- 346m
Shuswap Lake is one of British Columbia’s premier trophy stillwaters. Renowned for its unique four-arm layout (Main Arm, Salmon Arm, Seymour Arm, and Anstey Arm), the lake supports a massive kokanee and sockeye salmon prey base that fuels legendary growth in wild Gerrard-strain rainbow trout and deep-dwelling bull trout.
Open Shuswap Lake in the appThe 7-day forecast, max depth and wildfire smoke check, on the lake's own coordinate.
Trophy fish at Shuswap Lake
Shuswap Lake is known for trophy Lake trout to 25 lb.
- Rainbow trout to 15 lb
- Lake trout to 25 lb
- Bull trout 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.
Shuswap Lake at a glance
- Region
- Thompson-Nicola
- Management unit
- MU 3-26
- Species
- Rainbow Trout, Lake Trout, Bull Trout, Burbot, Mountain Whitefish, Kokanee (last recorded 1994), Lake Whitefish (last recorded 1995), Whitefish (General) (last recorded 1994), Cutthroat Trout (last recorded 1958), Pygmy Whitefish (last recorded 1958), White Sturgeon (last recorded 1958), Chinook Salmon, Sockeye Salmon, Salmon (General), Coho Salmon, Pink Salmon (last recorded 1958), Northern Pikeminnow, Redside Shiner, Lake Chub, Prickly Sculpin, Sculpin (General), Largescale Sucker, Carp (General), Carp, Peamouth Chub, Slimy Sculpin, Leopard Dace, Sucker (General), Longnose Dace, Longnose Sucker, Chub (General) (last recorded 1950), Dace (General) (last recorded 1950)The newest of these fish records is from 2020.Species from the province's fish observation records.
- Lake size
- Large Water (> 500 ha)
- Ice fishing
- Closed to ice fishing
- Coordinates
- 50.946687, -119.011326
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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 Shuswap Lake
Rainbows of 2 kg (4 lb) are common on the Shuswap, with fish of 10 kg (22 lb) caught on occasion, says The Sport Fishing Guide. A Salmon Arm tackle shop suggests a Shuswap Bucktail trolled at about 1.5 mph.
- Rainbow Trout
Typically 2 kg (4 lb) is common
Bigger fish: 10 kg (22 lb) on occasion
Source: The Sport Fishing Guide (SunCruiser Media)
Troll a Shuswap Bucktail on a type 6 line at about 1.5 mph. Source: The Sport Fishing Guide (SunCruiser Media)
Fish on record at Shuswap Lake
| Species | First recorded | Last recorded | Records |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rainbow Trout | 1923 | 2004 | 53 |
| Lake Trout | 1950 | 2012 | 13 |
| Burbot | 1931 | 2007 | 5 |
| Mountain Whitefish | 1931 | 1996 | 7 |
| Kokanee | 1914 | 1994 | 18 |
| Lake Whitefish | 1931 | 1995 | 5 |
| Whitefish (General) | 1994 | 1994 | 1 |
| Cutthroat Trout | 1958 | 1958 | 1 |
| Pygmy Whitefish | 1958 | 1958 | 1 |
| White Sturgeon | 1958 | 1958 | 1 |
| Chinook Salmon | 1931 | 2015 | 10 |
| Sockeye Salmon | 1931 | 2012 | 88 |
| Salmon (General) | 2005 | 2005 | 1 |
| Coho Salmon | 1931 | 2004 | 10 |
| Pink Salmon | 1958 | 1958 | 1 |
| Northern Pikeminnow | 1931 | 2020 | 15 |
| Redside Shiner | 1931 | 2020 | 14 |
| Lake Chub | 1931 | 2018 | 7 |
| Prickly Sculpin | 1931 | 2015 | 3 |
| Sculpin (General) | 1988 | 2012 | 8 |
| Largescale Sucker | 1931 | 2012 | 7 |
| Carp (General) | 2012 | 2012 | 1 |
| Carp | 1931 | 2007 | 7 |
| Peamouth Chub | 1950 | 2007 | 5 |
| Slimy Sculpin | 2007 | 2007 | 1 |
| Leopard Dace | 1950 | 2004 | 3 |
| Sucker (General) | 2004 | 2004 | 2 |
| Longnose Dace | 2004 | 2004 | 1 |
| Longnose Sucker | 1931 | 1996 | 3 |
| Chub (General) | 1950 | 1950 | 2 |
| Dace (General) | 1931 | 1950 | 2 |
A year is when the Province last recorded the fish here, not a statement that it is caught today.
How to fish Shuswap Lake
Troll Apex lures (size 4.5-5.5 in blue/silver, chrome/pink), Lyman wooden plugs (#2, #4 rainbow and kokanee patterns), or bucktail flies (#2/0, #4/0 on tandem hooks) on planer boards or downriggers at 2.5-3.8 mph. In spring and late fall, fish surface bucktails right in the prop wash.
Best times of year at Shuswap Lake
- Spring (April-June)
- Fall (Sept-Nov)
- Winter Trolling
Shuswap Lake fishing regulations
We have no lake specific regulations on file for Shuswap Lake yet.
Getting to Shuswap Lake
Paved highway access via Trans-Canada Hwy 1 (Salmon Arm / Sicamous) with multiple public concrete boat ramps and marinas.
Coordinates: 50.946687, -119.011326
Camping and rec sites at Shuswap Lake
- Shuswap Lake Provincial Park (Scotch Creek)
275 vehicle-accessible campsites, large sand/gravel beach, day-use & picnic area
Facilities: Boat Launch, Campground, Sandy Beach, Playground, Pit Toilets
Access: Paved access via the community of Scotch Creek, north shore of the main arm (2WD) - Cinnemousun Narrows Provincial Park (Marine Access)
Marine boat-in wilderness campsites at the junction of the 4 Shuswap Lake arms, docks & picnic shelters
Facilities: Marine Boat-in Campsites, Docks, Pit Toilets, Picnic Shelters
Access: Boat-in only (No Road Access)
Depth chart for Shuswap Lake
161 mdeepest
Shuswap Lake runs to 161 m (528 ft) at its deepest.
The federal Canadian Hydrographic Service charts Shuswap Lake for navigation, with soundings across the lake.
The ice year at Shuswap Lake, modelled
Modelled from air temperature, not an ice report. It says nothing about whether ice will hold you.
The model treats Shuswap 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.
Shuswap 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.
Shuswap Lake climate, 1960 to 2025
Averaged over a year, the air above Shuswap Lake is 0.9 C warmer than it was in the 1960s. That is 66 years of daily readings, not a forecast.
- +0.9 Csince the 1960s
- 9.5 Caverage year now
- 8.6 Caverage year then
- -12 daysbelow freezing, change
each yearthe trend across 1960 to 2025
each yearthe trend across 1960 to 2025
This week at Shuswap 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 | 15° / 4° | 10 km/h | dry | Steady |
| Wed 21 Oct | Overcast | 20° / 8° | 9 km/h, gusts 18 | dry | Falling (-6.6 hPa) |
| Thu 22 Oct | Overcast | 16° / 6° | 8 km/h | dry | Falling (-2.7 hPa) |
| Fri 23 Oct | Overcast | 12° / 2° | 7 km/h | dry | Rising (+11.4 hPa) |
| Sat 24 Oct | Overcast | 10° / 0° | 7 km/h | dry | Rising (+8.5 hPa) |
| Sun 25 Oct | Mainly clear | 10° / -1° | 6 km/h | dry | Rising (+2.4 hPa) |
| Mon 26 Oct | Partly cloudy | 11° / -1° | 6 km/h | dry | Steady |
Shuswap Lake, in brief
What fish are in Shuswap Lake?
Rainbow Trout, Lake Trout, Bull Trout, Burbot, Mountain Whitefish, Kokanee (last recorded 1994), Lake Whitefish (last recorded 1995), Whitefish (General) (last recorded 1994), Cutthroat Trout (last recorded 1958), Pygmy Whitefish (last recorded 1958), White Sturgeon (last recorded 1958), Chinook Salmon, Sockeye Salmon, Salmon (General), Coho Salmon, Pink Salmon (last recorded 1958). Species from the province's fish observation records.
Which management unit is Shuswap Lake in?
Shuswap Lake is in MU 3-26, in the Thompson-Nicola. The BC Freshwater Fishing Regulations Synopsis is organised by management unit; check it before you go.
Trout lakes near Shuswap Lake
- Herman Lake 11 km away
- Mara Lake 18 km away
- White Lake 19 km away
- Cummins Lake 23 km away
- Rosemond Lake 26 km away
All 342 lakes in the Thompson-Nicola, with today's conditions on each.