Recreation
Best Fishing Spots in Kelowna
Kelowna Team
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Summary
The best fishing spots in and around Kelowna: where to cast, what you'll catch, and which lakes need a boat or a truck.
In this article:
The best fishing spots near Kelowna are Wood Lake for kokanee, Hydraulic and Postill lakes for trout, and Kalamalka Lake for big lake trout if you have downriggers. This guide covers 10 lakes and piers, with what you'll catch, the gear that works, and which spots need a boat or a truck. Most of the hundreds of lakes in the area are reached by rough roads where cell service is unreliable, so a paper or offline map is worth carrying.
| Spot | Main catch | Access |
|---|---|---|
| Bertram Creek Park Pier | Kokanee, rainbow trout | Shore (pier) |
| Shannon Lake | Rainbow trout, largemouth bass, yellow perch | Shore (floating dock) |
| Wood Lake | Kokanee | Boat |
| Hydraulic Lake | Rainbow trout | Cartop boat, 10hp max |
| Beaver (Swalwell) Lake | Pennask rainbow trout | 16 km gravel road |
| Kalamalka Lake | Lake trout | Boat with downriggers |
| Idabel Lake | Eastern brook trout | Ice fishing |
| Jackpine Lake | Rainbow trout | Forest service road, no gas motors |
| Rose Valley Reservoir | Rainbow trout | Walk-in, float tube |
| Postill Lake | Brook and rainbow trout | 15 km gravel road, lodge boat rentals |
Okanagan Lake at Bertram Creek
Bertram Creek Park Pier 5680 Lakeshore Rd | Free | Good for: Easy shore fishing. Bad for: Mid-summer crowds.
The best shore spot on Okanagan Lake. Shore fishing on the big lake is usually poor, because the water is very clear and the drop-offs are far out. Without a boat, skip the downtown waterfront and drive down Lakeshore Road to Bertram Creek Regional Park in the Mission, where the free public pier reaches past the shallow rocks.
Cast a spoon for kokanee or rainbow trout. Catches are modest; the appeal is a quiet morning. Fish early, and skip midday in July, when the heat pushes fish deep. Parking is free, but the lot fills by 10 AM on weekends.
To troll the big lake, launch at the Cook Road boat launch and run an Apex lure around the William R. Bennett Bridge, where the water is deep right off the pilings. Watch for wakeboard boats and their wakes.
Shannon Lake
Shannon Lake Regional Park 2375 Shannon Lake Rd, West Kelowna | Free | Good for: Taking the kids. Bad for: Eating the catch.
Best for fishing with kids. Shannon Lake is a small urban lake in Shannon Lake Regional Park that the province stocks with catchable rainbow trout every spring, and it also holds largemouth bass and yellow perch. There's a floating dock and a paved trail, and weekends are busy with families.
The catch: the lake receives fertilizer runoff from the neighbouring golf course. Practise catch and release rather than keeping fish to eat. Small spinners or a worm under a bobber work well.
The lot is small, so arrive early. The regional park gates open early, which makes it a good option for a spare morning.
Wood Lake
Wood Lake Boat Launches Pelmewash Parkway, Lake Country | Free | Good for: Limits of kokanee. Bad for: Late August water temperatures.
The kokanee capital of the valley, in Lake Country north of the airport. A boat is required; there's a decent launch off the highway midway along the lake. Troll small wedding bands tipped with pink maggots at about 1.5 miles per hour. With enough time on the water, a limit is very likely.
Avoid late August. The water warms, the deeper water loses oxygen and algae blooms sometimes occur. Kokanee seasons and limits on Wood Lake have changed several times in recent years, so check the current BC freshwater fishing regulations before going. For a simple day with steady action, this is the spot.
Hydraulic Lake
Hydraulic Lake Recreation Site McCulloch Rd | Free | Good for: Rainbow trout. Bad for: Speedboats. Max 10hp allowed.
A high-elevation reservoir about 45 minutes from downtown, stocked with thousands of rainbow trout every year. Take Highway 33 up the hill past Rutland and Black Mountain, then McCulloch Road. It stays cold here even when the valley floor reaches 35 degrees. Bring a warm jacket.
A rough cartop boat launch sits off the dirt road. Troll flatfish or spin cast for rainbows. The 10hp motor limit is strictly enforced. The Kettle Valley Railway trail runs past the lake, and there's camping at the lake for a weekend trip.
Beaver Lake
Swalwell (Beaver) Lake Beaver Lake Rd, Lake Country | Free | Good for: Classic mountain fishing. Bad for: Your suspension.
A mountain lake stocked with hard-fighting Pennask-strain rainbow trout. It appears as Swalwell Lake on maps and sits 16 kilometres up a rough gravel logging road from Winfield: take the highway north and turn right in Winfield. Good tires are essential, and towing a large trailer up is a risk.
Troll willow leaf gangs in the deep sections. Near the islands on the east side, the water shallows quickly and props get damaged. A resort on the lake rents small boats for anyone who'd rather not risk their own vehicle and gear.
Kalamalka Lake
Kalamalka Lake Oyama Rd, Lake Country | Free | Good for: Monster lake trout. Bad for: Small boats.
Known for very large lake trout, on the border of Lake Country and Vernon. The water turns bright green in summer. Reaching the trout means getting gear down 80 to 100 feet with downriggers; with the right setup, a 20-pounder is possible. A kayak and basic tackle won't do it.
Without downriggers, Wood Lake is the better choice. Kal Lake fills with wake surfers by noon, so launch at dawn, fish deep and leave before the chop builds.
Where's the best ice fishing near Kelowna?
Idabel Lake Idabel Lake Rd (off Hwy 33) | Free | Good for: Ice fishing. Bad for: Summer shore fishing.
Idabel Lake is the best ice fishing near Kelowna. The family resort lake is off Highway 33, past the Hydraulic Lake turnoff, and produces eastern brook trout steadily through the ice. Resort managers usually clear a skating rink on the lake. In summer the rainbows are sluggish in the heat, and brook trout remain the main target.
Fish the drop-offs near the cattails on the south end with a small jig tipped with shrimp or krill, about six inches off the bottom. Parking is near the resort. The ice is usually thick by late December, with at least a foot to cut through. Bring an auger; a hatchet isn't enough.
Jackpine Lake
Jackpine Lake Bear Main FSR, West Kelowna | Free | Good for: Remote fly fishing. Bad for: Access.
Best for quiet fly fishing. Jackpine is a small mountain lake above West Kelowna where gas motors are not allowed, so belly boats and canoes are the norm. Work the lily pads with a dry fly. The rainbow trout are small but aggressive, and the lake sees few other anglers.
Drive up the hill behind West Kelowna, past the old Crystal Mountain ski hill area. Access is from the Glenrosa side or Bear Main. The Glenrosa route is slightly better but still rough, and neither suits a low-clearance sedan. Bear Main is an active forestry road: watch for logging trucks and carry a VHF radio if you have one. Bring bug spray. Mosquitoes are heavy.
Rose Valley Reservoir
Rose Valley Reservoir McDougall Rd, West Kelowna | Free | Good for: Hike-in float tubing. Bad for: Lazy fishermen.
Known for large rainbow trout in deep, cold water. The reservoir is walk-in only: park at the yellow gate at the end of Rosewood Drive and walk the gravel service road for about 15 minutes. It's stocked with several strains of trout, and the fish cruise the drop-offs near the edges.
Bring a float tube or an inflatable stand-up paddleboard. The banks are steep and treed, and shore casting mostly loses gear. Pack light: the walk out is uphill with no shade and gets very hot in summer, though it's cooler on the water.
Postill Lake
Postill Lake Postill Lake Rd, Ellison | Free (boat rentals at the lodge) | Good for: Dry flies. Bad for: The washboard road.
Best for fly fishing for brook and rainbow trout, with a lodge that rents boats. The lake is 15 kilometres up a washboard gravel road in Ellison: turn off Highway 97 near the airport onto Farmers Drive, then take Postill Lake Road. The road is rutted after the spring melt and isn't suitable for low-clearance cars.
The bays and shoals suit fly fishing. A Doc Spratley or a simple mosquito pattern produces trout consistently. Spring and fall are prime time; mid-summer is slower as the water warms.
The lodge rents aluminum boats with electric motors; check with the lodge for current rates. They're slow, but enough for this lake. Twin Lakes and Meadow Lake are hikes from the lodge. Those upper lakes are fly-fishing only and hold big fish.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a fishing license in Kelowna?
Yes. You need a BC Freshwater Fishing License for all lakes and rivers around Kelowna, including Okanagan Lake, and you can buy it online through the provincial government website.
What fish are in Okanagan Lake?
Okanagan Lake holds kokanee salmon, rainbow trout and burbot. The kokanee and rainbow trout are the main targets for anglers. You'll also find coarse fish like peamouth chub and northern pikeminnow near the shallow shores.
Can you fish from shore in Kelowna?
Yes, but success is limited. Bertram Creek Park in the Mission has a fishing pier that gets you past the shallow rocks, and Shannon Lake in West Kelowna has a floating dock. Otherwise, most lakes need a boat, belly boat or paddleboard for real success.
Where is the best ice fishing near Kelowna?
Idabel Lake and Beaver Lake are the most reliable spots for ice fishing near Kelowna. Idabel is off Highway 33 and is full of brook trout. The ice is usually thick enough by late December, but always check conditions before walking out.
Are there bass in Kelowna?
Yes. Shannon Lake in West Kelowna has largemouth bass. If you're willing to drive about an hour south, Skaha Lake in Penticton is full of smallmouth bass. Vaseux Lake also has a strong bass population but completely prohibits gas-powered boats.
