St. Mary Lake
MU 4-20, Kootenays
49.6106° N, 116.1961° W
- Surface area
- 343ha
- Maximum depth
- 21m
- 69 ft. Province survey, 1980
- Elevation
- 960m
Dramatic mountain lake surrounded by Purcell peaks, holding wild cutthroat and aggressive rainbows.
Open St. Mary Lake in the appThe 7-day forecast, max depth and wildfire smoke check, on the lake's own coordinate.
Trophy fish at St. Mary Lake
St. Mary Lake is known for trophy Bull trout to 8 lb.
- Rainbow trout to 6 lb
- Bull trout to 8 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.
St. Mary Lake at a glance
- Region
- Kootenays
- Management unit
- MU 4-20
- Species
- Rainbow Trout (last recorded 1995), Bull Trout (last recorded 1990), Burbot, Westslope (Yellowstone) Cutthroat Trout (last recorded 1995), Kokanee (last recorded 1995), Mountain Whitefish (last recorded 1983), Dolly Varden (last recorded 1959), Cutthroat/Rainbow cross (last recorded 1945), Cutthroat Trout (last recorded 1940), Longnose Sucker (last recorded 1959)The newest of these fish records is from 2016.Species from the province's fish observation records.
- Lake size
- Medium Lake (50 - 500 ha)
- Ice fishing
- Open to ice fishing, confirmed
- Coordinates
- 49.6106, -116.1961
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Gear for bull trout
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Fish on record at St. Mary Lake
| Species | First recorded | Last recorded | Records |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rainbow Trout | 1918 | 1995 | 12 |
| Bull Trout | 1990 | 1990 | 1 |
| Burbot | 1990 | 2016 | 10 |
| Westslope (Yellowstone) Cutthroat Trout | 1923 | 1995 | 20 |
| Kokanee | 1942 | 1995 | 6 |
| Mountain Whitefish | 1959 | 1983 | 2 |
| Dolly Varden | 1959 | 1959 | 1 |
| Cutthroat/Rainbow cross | 1939 | 1945 | 3 |
| Cutthroat Trout | 1938 | 1940 | 3 |
| Longnose Sucker | 1959 | 1959 | 1 |
A year is when the Province last recorded the fish here, not a statement that it is caught today.
How to fish St. Mary Lake
Casting spinners, fly fishing dry flies (stimulators, caddis), trolling spoons along rocky shorelines.
Best times of year at St. Mary Lake
- June - July
- September - October
St. Mary Lake fishing regulations
Burbot and cutthroat trout catch and release. Source: Province of British Columbia
Getting to St. Mary Lake
St. Mary Lake Road west of Kimberley. Public boat launch and recreation site.
Coordinates: 49.6106, -116.1961
Camping and rec sites at St. Mary Lake
- St Mary Lake
No campsite count on file (BC Recreation Sites and Trails)
Access: St. Mary Lake Road west of Kimberley. Public boat launch and recreation site.
Depth chart for St. Mary Lake
21 mdeepest7.7 mmean
St. Mary Lake runs to 21 m (69 ft) at its deepest, by the Province survey, 1980.
The mean of 7.7 m (25 ft) is read off the same chart, surveyed in May 1980.
The Province sounded St. Mary Lake and published the depth chart surveyed in 1980.
The ice year at St. Mary Lake, modelled
Modelled from air temperature, not an ice report. It says nothing about whether ice will hold you.
In the model St. Mary Lake froze in 65 of the 65 winters since 1960. Freeze-up falls most years between 7 November and 23 November, and ice-off between 7 April and 27 April. The median winter freezes on 13 November and opens on 18 April.
the middle half of modelled winters the median ice cover in the median winter
Winter 2024-25 in the model: frozen from 24 November 2024 to 7 April 2025, 134 days.
St. Mary 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.
St. Mary Lake climate, 1960 to 2025
Averaged over a year, the air above St. Mary Lake is 0.4 C warmer than it was in the 1960s. That is 66 years of daily readings, not a forecast.
- +0.4 Csince the 1960s
- 1.7 Caverage year now
- 1.3 Caverage year then
- -0 daysbelow freezing, change
each yearthe trend across 1960 to 2025
each yearthe trend across 1960 to 2025
This week at St. Mary 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 | 15° / 3° | 16 km/h, gusts 23 | dry | Steady |
| Wed 21 Oct | Overcast | 21° / 10° | 15 km/h | dry | Falling (-3.4 hPa) |
| Thu 22 Oct | Moderate drizzle | 19° / 6° | 8 km/h, gusts 17 | 2 mm | Falling (-4.6 hPa) |
| Fri 23 Oct | Light drizzle | 12° / 3° | 10 km/h, gusts 26 | 0 mm | Rising (+3.1 hPa) |
| Sat 24 Oct | Overcast | 11° / 1° | 8 km/h, gusts 15 | dry | Rising (+12.7 hPa) |
| Sun 25 Oct | Overcast | 7° / -1° | 7 km/h | dry | Rising (+3.3 hPa) |
| Mon 26 Oct | Mainly clear | 10° / -1° | 7 km/h | dry | Rising (+2.7 hPa) |
St. Mary Lake, in brief
What fish are in St. Mary Lake?
Rainbow Trout (last recorded 1995), Bull Trout (last recorded 1990), Burbot, Westslope (Yellowstone) Cutthroat Trout (last recorded 1995), Kokanee (last recorded 1995), Mountain Whitefish (last recorded 1983), Dolly Varden (last recorded 1959), Cutthroat/Rainbow cross (last recorded 1945), Cutthroat Trout (last recorded 1940). Species from the province's fish observation records.
Which management unit is St. Mary Lake in?
St. Mary Lake is in MU 4-20, in the Kootenays. The BC Freshwater Fishing Regulations Synopsis is organised by management unit; check it before you go.
Trout lakes near St. Mary Lake
- Caribou Lakes 13 km away
- White Boar Lake 15 km away
- Hall Lake 18 km away
- Palmer Bar Lake 26 km away
- New Lake 27 km away
All 162 lakes in the Kootenays, with today's conditions on each.