Upper Elk Lake
MU 4-23, Kootenays
50.5522° N, 115.1083° W
- Surface area
- 71.1ha
- Elevation
- 1,715m
Open Upper Elk Lake in the appThe 7-day forecast, max depth and wildfire smoke check, on the lake's own coordinate.
Upper 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), Dolly Varden (last recorded 1976), Longnose Sucker, Longnose Dace, Sucker (General) (last recorded 1991)The newest of these fish records is from 2002.Species from the province's fish observation records.
- Lake size
- Medium Lake (50 - 500 ha)
- Ice fishing
- Closed to ice fishing
- Coordinates
- 50.5522, -115.1083
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Fish on record at Upper Elk Lake
| Species | First recorded | Last recorded | Records |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bull Trout | 1993 | 1993 | 1 |
| Mountain Whitefish | 1991 | 1991 | 1 |
| Whitefish (General) | 1990 | 1990 | 1 |
| Dolly Varden | 1976 | 1976 | 1 |
| Longnose Sucker | 2002 | 2002 | 2 |
| Longnose Dace | 2002 | 2002 | 1 |
| Sucker (General) | 1990 | 1991 | 2 |
A year is when the Province last recorded the fish here, not a statement that it is caught today.
How to fish Upper Elk Lake
Best times of year at Upper Elk Lake
- May - June
- September - October
Upper 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 Upper Elk Lake
Coordinates: 50.5522, -115.1083
The ice year at Upper Elk Lake, modelled
Modelled from air temperature, not an ice report. It says nothing about whether ice will hold you.
In the model Upper 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 27 May and 11 June. The median winter freezes on 22 October and opens on 4 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.
Upper 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.
Upper Elk Lake climate, 1960 to 2025
Averaged over a year, the air above Upper 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 Upper 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° / -1° | 5 km/h, gusts 37 | dry | Steady |
| Wed 21 Oct | Partly cloudy | 10° / -1° | 13 km/h, gusts 75 | dry | Falling (-5.2 hPa) |
| Thu 22 Oct | Overcast | 11° / 0° | 12 km/h, gusts 52 | dry | Falling (-4.7 hPa) |
| Fri 23 Oct | Moderate snow | 4° / -4° | 12 km/h, gusts 28 | 3 mm | Rising (+5.0 hPa) |
| Sat 24 Oct | Moderate snow | 2° / -5° | 5 km/h, gusts 27 | 5 mm | Rising (+11.2 hPa) |
| Sun 25 Oct | Moderate snow | 2° / -9° | 5 km/h, gusts 29 | 3 mm | Rising (+8.1 hPa) |
| Mon 26 Oct | Overcast | 4° / -12° | 2 km/h, gusts 8 | dry | Falling (-3.8 hPa) |
Upper Elk Lake, in brief
What fish are in Upper Elk Lake?
Westslope Cutthroat Trout (last recorded 1991), Bull Trout (last recorded 1993), Mountain Whitefish (last recorded 1991), Whitefish (General) (last recorded 1990), Dolly Varden (last recorded 1976). Species from the province's fish observation records.
Which management unit is Upper Elk Lake in?
Upper 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 Upper Elk Lake
- Lower Elk Lake 1 km away
- Connor Lake 26 km away
- Fenwick Lake 37 km away
- Blue Lake 42 km away
- Munroe Lake 46 km away
All 162 lakes in the Kootenays, with today's conditions on each.