Trout Lake (Lardeau)
MU 4-29, Kootenays
50.6000° N, 117.4500° W
- Surface area
- 2855ha
- Maximum depth
- 232m
- 761 ft
- Elevation
- 717m
Located at the head of the Lardeau River valley, Trout Lake is the ancestral nursery of the legendary Gerrard rainbow trout. Surrounded by towering Selkirk Mountain glaciers, this deep fjord-like lake produces exceptional trophy angling.
Open Trout Lake (Lardeau) in the appThe 7-day forecast, max depth and wildfire smoke check, on the lake's own coordinate.
Trophy fish at Trout Lake (Lardeau)
Trout Lake (Lardeau) is known for trophy Gerrard rainbow trout to 15 lb.
- Gerrard rainbow trout to 15 lb
- Bull trout to 12 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.
Trout Lake (Lardeau) at a glance
- Region
- Kootenays
- Management unit
- MU 4-29
- Species
- Rainbow Trout (last recorded 1978), Bull Trout (last recorded 1978), Dolly Varden, Kokanee (last recorded 1978), Burbot (last recorded 1978), Mountain Whitefish (last recorded 1978), Lake Trout (last recorded 1949), Whitefish (General) (last recorded 1949), Cutthroat Trout (last recorded 1913), Chub (General) (last recorded 1978), Slimy Sculpin (last recorded 1978), Lake Chub (last recorded 1949), Largescale Sucker (last recorded 1949), Longnose Dace (last recorded 1949), Longnose Sucker (last recorded 1949), Northern Pikeminnow (last recorded 1949), Prickly Sculpin (last recorded 1949), Redside Shiner (last recorded 1949), Torrent Sculpin (last recorded 1949)The newest of these fish records is from 1978.Species from the province's fish observation records.
- Lake size
- Large Water (> 500 ha)
- Ice fishing
- Open to ice fishing, confirmed
- Coordinates
- 50.6, -117.45
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Gear for Gerrard rainbow trout
Lines, leaders, lures and flies for Gerrard rainbow trout, searched on Amazon.ca.
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Fish on record at Trout Lake (Lardeau)
| Species | First recorded | Last recorded | Records |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rainbow Trout | 1914 | 1978 | 16 |
| Bull Trout | 1978 | 1978 | 1 |
| Kokanee | 1920 | 1978 | 3 |
| Burbot | 1949 | 1978 | 2 |
| Mountain Whitefish | 1949 | 1978 | 2 |
| Lake Trout | 1949 | 1949 | 1 |
| Whitefish (General) | 1949 | 1949 | 1 |
| Cutthroat Trout | 1913 | 1913 | 1 |
| Chub (General) | 1949 | 1978 | 2 |
| Slimy Sculpin | 1978 | 1978 | 1 |
| Lake Chub | 1949 | 1949 | 2 |
| Largescale Sucker | 1949 | 1949 | 1 |
| Longnose Dace | 1949 | 1949 | 1 |
| Longnose Sucker | 1949 | 1949 | 1 |
| Northern Pikeminnow | 1949 | 1949 | 1 |
| Prickly Sculpin | 1949 | 1949 | 1 |
| Redside Shiner | 1949 | 1949 | 1 |
| Torrent Sculpin | 1949 | 1949 | 1 |
A year is when the Province last recorded the fish here, not a statement that it is caught today.
How to fish Trout Lake (Lardeau)
Troll Apex 4.5/5.0 lures and bucktail flies along the steep mountainous drop-offs. Cast large streamers and leeches around creek mouths.
Best times of year at Trout Lake (Lardeau)
- Summer (June-Aug)
- Fall (Sept-Nov)
Trout Lake (Lardeau) fishing regulations
No Fishing northwest of a line between fishing boundary signs on opposite shores approximately 1.5 km southeast the city of Trout Lake, Feb 1-May 31. Source: Province of British Columbia
Getting to Trout Lake (Lardeau)
Paved and good gravel access via Hwy 31 from Meadow Creek / Kaslo or Galena Bay.
Coordinates: 50.6, -117.45
Camping and rec sites at Trout Lake (Lardeau)
- Trout Lake Public Boat Ramp
No designated vehicle campground at the ramp; rustic camping available in the Lardeau Valley
Facilities: Public Boat Ramp, Vehicle Parking
Access: Gravel Lardeau Valley Road to the community of Trout Lake (2WD)
Depth chart for Trout Lake (Lardeau)
232 mdeepest128.1 mmean
Trout Lake (Lardeau) runs to 232 m (761 ft) at its deepest.
The mean of 128.1 m (420 ft) is read off the same chart, surveyed in June 1979.
The Province sounded Trout Lake (Lardeau) and published the depth chart surveyed in 1979. It runs to 4 sheets.
The ice year at Trout Lake (Lardeau), modelled
Modelled from air temperature, not an ice report. It says nothing about whether ice will hold you.
In the model Trout Lake (Lardeau) froze in 65 of the 65 winters since 1960. Freeze-up falls most years between 9 November and 26 November, and ice-off between 27 March and 17 April. The median winter freezes on 18 November and opens on 8 April.
the middle half of modelled winters the median ice cover in the median winter
Winter 2024-25 in the model: frozen from 1 December 2024 to 27 March 2025, 116 days.
Trout Lake (Lardeau) 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.
Trout Lake (Lardeau) climate, 1960 to 2025
Averaged over a year, the air above Trout Lake (Lardeau) is 0.8 C warmer than it was in the 1960s. That is 66 years of daily readings, not a forecast.
- +0.8 Csince the 1960s
- -2.1 Caverage year now
- -3.0 Caverage year then
- -10 daysbelow freezing, change
each yearthe trend across 1960 to 2025
each yearthe trend across 1960 to 2025
This week at Trout Lake (Lardeau)
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 | 12° / 2° | 12 km/h | dry | Steady |
| Wed 21 Oct | Overcast | 20° / 8° | 14 km/h, gusts 22 | dry | Falling (-5.1 hPa) |
| Thu 22 Oct | Overcast | 19° / 6° | 12 km/h | dry | Falling (-4.5 hPa) |
| Fri 23 Oct | Overcast | 11° / 3° | 11 km/h | dry | Rising (+8.4 hPa) |
| Sat 24 Oct | Light drizzle | 9° / 3° | 8 km/h | dry | Rising (+9.3 hPa) |
| Sun 25 Oct | Light drizzle | 10° / 2° | 6 km/h | 0 mm | Rising (+3.6 hPa) |
| Mon 26 Oct | Overcast | 12° / 1° | 5 km/h | dry | Steady |
Trout Lake (Lardeau), in brief
What fish are in Trout Lake (Lardeau)?
Rainbow Trout (last recorded 1978), Bull Trout (last recorded 1978), Dolly Varden, Kokanee (last recorded 1978), Burbot (last recorded 1978), Mountain Whitefish (last recorded 1978), Lake Trout (last recorded 1949), Whitefish (General) (last recorded 1949), Cutthroat Trout (last recorded 1913). Species from the province's fish observation records.
Which management unit is Trout Lake (Lardeau) in?
Trout Lake (Lardeau) is in MU 4-29, in the Kootenays. The BC Freshwater Fishing Regulations Synopsis is organised by management unit; check it before you go.
Trout lakes near Trout Lake (Lardeau)
- Staubert Lake 17 km away
- Harris Lake 31 km away
- Upper Arrow Lake (Drawdown Area) 35 km away
- Hamling Lakes 38 km away
- Kimbol Lake 39 km away
All 162 lakes in the Kootenays, with today's conditions on each.