Ice fishing in Region 4 Kootenay

Fishing region 4 (Kootenay) covers 0 wildlife management units. The 2025-2027 synopsis lists 223 waters here with rules of their own. 14 of them are closed to ice fishing. Every other lake follows the regional quotas below.

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Region 4 daily quotas

From the Regional Regulations page of the 2025-2027 synopsis. They apply to every water in the region unless the water's own entry says otherwise; possession quotas are two daily quotas unless stated.

• Trout/char: 5, but not more than 1 rainbow or cutthroat trout over 50 cm, 2 from streams and 1 bull trout (Dolly Varden) of any size.
• Bass: 0 quota, closed to fishing (see tables for exceptions)
• Burbot: 2
• Crayfish: 25
• Kokanee: 15 (none from streams), no more than 5 over 30 cm
• Northern pike: 0 quota, closed to fishing (see tables for exceptions)
• Walleye: 0 quota, closed to fishing (see tables for exceptions)
• White sturgeon: 0 quota, closed to fishing
• Whitefish: 15 (all species combined)
• Yellow perch: 0 quota, closed to fishing (see tables for exceptions)

On the ice anywhere in BC

• Ice fish with one line and one lure, artificial fly or other terminal attractor.
• You are legally responsible for warning other people of your ice hole.
• Remove your ice hut before ice breakup.
• Set lines (an unattended line) are only allowed in the lakes of Region 6 and Region 7A: one line, one hook with a gap of at least 3 cm, marked with your name, address and phone number. Any game fish other than burbot caught on one must be released.
• Your basic licence runs for the licence year, April 1 to March 31, so a licence bought last spring expires before the end of the ice season.

Waters closed to ice fishing (14)

"No Ice Fishing" in the water's own entry. Most are trophy or fly-fishing lakes managed for open-water angling.

Other waters with winter rules

Entries with a rule that mentions the ice or a date between December and March.

• Coal Creek (downstream of Old Mf&M Railway bridge 7 km upstream of Elk River) (downstream of Old MF&M Railway bridge 7 km upstream of Elk River): Youth/Disabled Accompanied Water year round (see page 4)
• Columbia Lake’S Tributaries (’S TRIBUTARIES): No Fishing from a line between the old Robson Ferry landing and a sign on the south river bank, downstream approximately 950 m to the CPR Bridge, Mar 1-June 30; Where angling is permitted: EXEMPT from the regional Nov 1-Mar 31 trout/char catch and release and the regional Apr 1-June 14 closure
• Dorothy Lake: Youth/Disabled Accompanied Water year round (see page 4)
• Duncan River: Exempt from spring closure, exempt from regional Nov 1-Mar 31 bull trout catch and release, bait ban
• Fisher Maiden Lake: Youth/Disabled Accompanied Water year round (see page 4)
• Fording River (downstream of Josephine Falls) (downstream of Josephine Falls): Trout/char catch and release, June 15-Mar 31 and bait ban, June 15-Oct 31
• Hellroaring Creek: Class II water when/where open, including tributaries - St. Mary River classified licence required for non-resident anglers
• Joseph Creek: This tributary of St. Mary River is not a Classified Water
• Koocanusa Reservoir: Bull trout catch and release Nov 1-Mar 31; no bull trout under 75 cm when open; bait ban Sept 15-June 30; burbot catch and release
• Kootenay Lake - Upper West Arm (for location see map on page 34) (- UPPER WEST ARM (for location see map on page 34): Rainbow trout catch and release, Jan 1-May 31; trout/char daily quota = 2 (only 1 bull trout)
• Kootenay River (downstream of Idaho border) (downstream of Idaho border): Downstream from the Idaho border to CPR Bridge near Creston and from Corra Linn Dam to the Columbia River: EXEMPT from Apr 1-June 14 closure AND from Nov 1-Mar 31 trout/char catch and release
• Kootenay River (upstream of Koocanusa Reservoir) (upstream of Koocanusa Reservoir): Trout/char catch and release, Nov 1-Mar 31
• Lardeau River: Exempt from spring closure (Apr 1-Jun 14), exempt from trout/char release (Nov 1-Mar 31)
• Lussier River: Bait ban downstream of Mutton Creek, June 15-Mar 31
• Michel Creek (upstream of the easternmost Hwy 3 bridge) (upstream of the easternmost Hwy 3 bridge): Trout/char catch and release, June 15-Mar 31 and bait ban, June 15-Oct 31.
• Moyie Lake: Burbot catch and release Feb 14-Feb 28; bull trout catch and release
• Norbury (Little Bull) Creek: Youth/Disabled Accompanied Water year round (see page 4)
• Perry Creek: Class II water when/where open, including tributaries - St. Mary River classified licence required for non-resident anglers
• Salmo River: Remainder of mainstem: rainbow trout daily quota = 1 (none under 30 cm), June 15-Oct 31, and bull trout catch and release year-round
• Trout Lake: 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
• Upper Arrow Lake (drawdown area) (drawdown area): EXEMPT from the regional Nov 1-Mar 31 trout/char catch and release from streams
• Whiteswan Lake’S Inlet & Outlet Streams (’S INLET & OUTLET STREAMS): No Fishing EXCEPT the outlet stream downstream of the falls 2.4 km downstream of Whiteswan Lake, No Fishing Aug 1-Mar 31, rainbow trout daily quota = 5 (catch and release all other species) when open

Source: BC Freshwater Fishing Regulations Synopsis 2025-2027, Region 4 Kootenay (water-specific tables and regional regulations); management units: BC Geographic Warehouse (OGL-BC). The synopsis is a summary, not the regulation, and in-season changes on gov.bc.ca/FishingRegulations override it. Lake names are linked where we could match them to a lake on our map by name and management unit. No regulation makes ice safe: check it yourself.