Yellow Lake
MU 8-2, Okanagan
49.3356° N, 119.7536° W
- Surface area
- 17ha
- Elevation
- 725m
One of the most accessible and heavily stocked highway fisheries in the South Okanagan.
Open Yellow Lake in the appThe 7-day forecast, max depth and wildfire smoke check, on the lake's own coordinate.
Trophy fish at Yellow Lake
Yellow Lake is known for trophy Rainbow trout to 6 lb.
- Rainbow trout to 6 lb
- Brook trout to 4 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.
Yellow Lake at a glance
- Region
- Okanagan
- Management unit
- MU 8-2
- Species
- Rainbow Trout, Brook Trout, Kokanee, Bull Trout (last recorded 1995), Largemouth Bass (last recorded 1995), Goldfish (last recorded 1995)The newest of these fish records is from 2026.Species from the province's fish observation records.
- Lake size
- Small Water (< 50 ha)
- Catch and release
- Yes
- Ice fishing
- Open to ice fishing, confirmed
- Coordinates
- 49.3356, -119.7536
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Gear for rainbow trout
Lines, leaders, lures and flies for rainbow trout, searched on Amazon.ca.
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What people catch at Yellow Lake
Rainbow trout. Fishing with Rod suggests jigging a spoon in deep water, tipped with maggots, PowerBait or worms.
A jigging spoon in 25 to 40 feet of water, tipped with maggots, PowerBait or worms. Source: Fishing with Rod
The rule that shapes it. Yellow perch daily quota = 20; Engine power restriction - 7.5 kW (10 hp); WARNING! Dangerous thin ice due to aeration. Source: Province of British Columbia
Fish on record at Yellow Lake
| Species | First recorded | Last recorded | Records |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rainbow Trout | 1939 | 2026 | 297 |
| Brook Trout | 1945 | 2018 | 118 |
| Kokanee | 1940 | 2021 | 16 |
| Bull Trout | 1995 | 1995 | 1 |
| Largemouth Bass | 1995 | 1995 | 1 |
| Goldfish | 1995 | 1995 | 1 |
A year is when the Province last recorded the fish here, not a statement that it is caught today.
How to fish Yellow Lake
PowerBait/worms on bottom rigs, trolling small spinners, indicator fishing with chronies.
Best times of year at Yellow Lake
- April - May
- October - November
- January - February (Ice Fishing)
Yellow Lake fishing regulations
Yellow perch daily quota = 20; Engine power restriction - 7.5 kW (10 hp); WARNING! Dangerous thin ice due to aeration. Source: Province of British Columbia
Getting to Yellow Lake
Directly alongside Hwy 3A between Penticton and Keremeos. Paved launch, dock, parking.
2.4 km of traced road to the shore. The road at the end is a paved surface. It stops 110 m short of the shore.
Coordinates: 49.3356, -119.7536
The ice year at Yellow Lake, modelled
Modelled from air temperature, not an ice report. It says nothing about whether ice will hold you.
In the model Yellow Lake froze in 65 of the 65 winters since 1960. Freeze-up falls most years between 12 November and 29 November, and ice-off between 17 March and 12 April. The median winter freezes on 24 November and opens on 31 March.
the middle half of modelled winters the median ice cover in the median winter
Winter 2024-25 in the model: frozen from 26 November 2024 to 5 April 2025, 130 days.
Yellow 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.
Yellow Lake climate, 1960 to 2025
Averaged over a year, the air above Yellow Lake 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
- 3.4 Caverage year now
- 2.7 Caverage year then
- -5 daysbelow freezing, change
each yearthe trend across 1960 to 2025
each yearthe trend across 1960 to 2025
This week at Yellow 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 | 12° / 2° | 6 km/h, gusts 12 | dry | Steady |
| Wed 21 Oct | Partly cloudy | 14° / 2° | 10 km/h | dry | Falling (-4.6 hPa) |
| Thu 22 Oct | Overcast | 15° / 2° | 9 km/h, gusts 21 | dry | Falling (-2.9 hPa) |
| Fri 23 Oct | Overcast | 10° / -1° | 8 km/h, gusts 52 | dry | Rising (+10.2 hPa) |
| Sat 24 Oct | Overcast | 5° / -1° | 4 km/h, gusts 36 | dry | Rising (+1.9 hPa) |
| Sun 25 Oct | Overcast | 11° / -1° | 5 km/h, gusts 27 | dry | Rising (+4.6 hPa) |
| Mon 26 Oct | Partly cloudy | 12° / 1° | 4 km/h, gusts 16 | dry | Falling (-1.0 hPa) |
Yellow Lake, in brief
What fish are in Yellow Lake?
Rainbow Trout, Brook Trout, Kokanee, Bull Trout (last recorded 1995), Largemouth Bass (last recorded 1995). Species from the province's fish observation records.
Which management unit is Yellow Lake in?
Yellow Lake is in MU 8-2, in the Okanagan. The BC Freshwater Fishing Regulations Synopsis is organised by management unit; check it before you go.
Trout lakes near Yellow Lake
- Trout Lake 3 km away
- Mahoney Lake 13 km away
- Ripley Lake 14 km away
- Madden Lake 15 km away
- Skaha Lake 15 km away
All 212 lakes in the Okanagan, with today's conditions on each.