Whatshan Lake
MU 4-32, Kootenays
50.0652° N, 118.0943° W
- Surface area
- 1700ha
- Maximum depth
- 116.1m
- 381 ft
- Elevation
- 640m
Whatshan Lake is a scenic high-valley reservoir nestled in the Monashee Mountains west of Lower Arrow Lake. It offers excellent trophy rainbow trout fishing without the heavy boat traffic of the larger Columbia valley waters.
Open Whatshan Lake in the appThe 7-day forecast, max depth and wildfire smoke check, on the lake's own coordinate.
Trophy fish at Whatshan Lake
Whatshan Lake is known for trophy Bull trout to 9.9 lb.
- Bull trout to 9.9 lb
- Rainbow trout to 3.3 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.
Whatshan Lake at a glance
- Region
- Kootenays
- Management unit
- MU 4-32
- Species
- Bull Trout, Rainbow Trout (last recorded 1995), Kokanee, Mountain Whitefish (last recorded 1994), Dolly Varden (last recorded 1948), Largescale Sucker, Northern Pikeminnow, Longnose Dace, Peamouth Chub, Slimy Sculpin, Redside Shiner (last recorded 1978)The newest of these fish records is from 2018.Species from the province's fish observation records.
- Lake size
- Large Water (> 500 ha)
- Ice fishing
- Open to ice fishing, confirmed
- Coordinates
- 50.065166, -118.094328
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Gear for bull trout
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Fish on record at Whatshan Lake
| Species | First recorded | Last recorded | Records |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bull Trout | 1985 | 2001 | 2 |
| Rainbow Trout | 1901 | 1995 | 39 |
| Kokanee | 1901 | 2018 | 10 |
| Mountain Whitefish | 1901 | 1994 | 3 |
| Dolly Varden | 1948 | 1948 | 1 |
| Largescale Sucker | 1901 | 2012 | 6 |
| Northern Pikeminnow | 1959 | 2012 | 5 |
| Longnose Dace | 1998 | 2012 | 2 |
| Peamouth Chub | 1959 | 1998 | 4 |
| Slimy Sculpin | 1998 | 1998 | 1 |
| Redside Shiner | 1901 | 1978 | 3 |
A year is when the Province last recorded the fish here, not a statement that it is caught today.
How to fish Whatshan Lake
Troll spoons (Croc, Williams), small plugs, and bucktail flies 15-40 ft deep. In spring, cast weighted leeches and chironomids in the shallower bays.
Best times of year at Whatshan Lake
- Spring (May-June)
- Fall (Sept-Oct)
Whatshan Lake fishing regulations
No bull trout under 60 cm. Source: Province of British Columbia
Getting to Whatshan Lake
Gravel road access via Whatshan Lake Road north of Needles / Edgewood.
23.2 km of traced road to the shore by way of Whatshan FSR, Whatshan Lake Rd and Barnes Rd. The road at the end is a loose surface. It stops 810 m short of the shore.
Coordinates: 50.065166, -118.094328
Depth chart for Whatshan Lake
116.1 mdeepest48.2 mmean
Whatshan Lake runs to 116.1 m (381 ft) at its deepest.
The mean of 48.2 m (158 ft) is read off the same chart, surveyed in May 1980.
The Province sounded Whatshan Lake and published the depth chart surveyed in 1980. It runs to 2 sheets.
The ice year at Whatshan Lake, modelled
Modelled from air temperature, not an ice report. It says nothing about whether ice will hold you.
In the model Whatshan Lake froze in 65 of the 65 winters since 1960. Freeze-up falls most years between 22 November and 15 December, and ice-off between 20 February and 31 March. The median winter freezes on 28 November and opens on 17 March.
the middle half of modelled winters the median ice cover in the median winter
Winter 2024-25 in the model: frozen from 17 January 2025 to 1 March 2025, 43 days.
Whatshan 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.
Whatshan Lake climate, 1960 to 2025
Averaged over a year, the air above Whatshan Lake is 1.1 C warmer than it was in the 1960s. That is 66 years of daily readings, not a forecast.
- +1.1 Csince the 1960s
- 0.2 Caverage year now
- -0.9 Caverage year then
- -9 daysbelow freezing, change
each yearthe trend across 1960 to 2025
each yearthe trend across 1960 to 2025
This week at Whatshan 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° / 4° | 10 km/h | dry | Steady |
| Wed 21 Oct | Overcast | 20° / 9° | 13 km/h, gusts 28 | dry | Falling (-5.0 hPa) |
| Thu 22 Oct | Overcast | 18° / 5° | 8 km/h | dry | Falling (-3.6 hPa) |
| Fri 23 Oct | Overcast | 10° / 2° | 10 km/h | dry | Rising (+8.9 hPa) |
| Sat 24 Oct | Overcast | 11° / 1° | 8 km/h | dry | Rising (+9.9 hPa) |
| Sun 25 Oct | Mainly clear | 10° / 0° | 7 km/h | dry | Rising (+2.6 hPa) |
| Mon 26 Oct | Overcast | 12° / 0° | 5 km/h | dry | Steady |
Whatshan Lake, in brief
What fish are in Whatshan Lake?
Bull Trout, Rainbow Trout (last recorded 1995), Kokanee, Mountain Whitefish (last recorded 1994), Dolly Varden (last recorded 1948). Species from the province's fish observation records.
Which management unit is Whatshan Lake in?
Whatshan Lake is in MU 4-32, in the Kootenays. The BC Freshwater Fishing Regulations Synopsis is organised by management unit; check it before you go.
Trout lakes near Whatshan Lake
- Holmes Lake 16 km away
- Snowshoe Lake 17 km away
- South Caribou Lake 18 km away
- Keefer Lake 19 km away
- Larson Lake 24 km away
All 162 lakes in the Kootenays, with today's conditions on each.