Winter

Sport fishing can heat up when the mercury drops and a favourite method of anglers from November to March is to troll for Gerrard rainbows and bull trout up to 20-pounds on the Arrow Lake, or to bottom bounce for large rainbow trout on the Columbia River.

The waterways remain ice-free all winter long, and while walleye (also known as pickerel) head south to Lake Roosevelt in winter, the Columbia’s biggest rainbows and bull trout are often caught in the winter months.

The temperature in the Columbia River valley averages –2C from December to February, but the temperature is often above zero. During cold spells the temperature can drop as low as –10 C, so always dress accordingly. A survival suit for trollers and a good pair of 5-mm neoprene waders for fly-fishers is recommended, and always wear appropriate winter clothing such as a warm coat, toque, and gloves.

Everything slows down in the colder weather on the Columbia including insect and trout activity. Rainbow trout will move to slow-moving currents and deeper water to conserve energy as their metabolism adapts to the winter season.

Fly-anglers need to get the fly down deep in winter, so using a full-sink type 6-7 line or a fast sink-tip is ideal. A short 2-to-3–foot leader that turns over streamers and woolly buggers and handles large winter trout is important, so a 3X or an eight-to-10-pound mono-filament leader is recommended.

Going deep with sink lines require big flies such as the Kaufmann stoneflies, Giant Stones and Brooke’s stonefly patterns; black, olive and brown woolly buggers; Dale Freschi’s bulldog, Clouser minnows, and traditional salmonfly patterns.

On Arrow Lake, trolling Bill Normans, Lyman plugs, water dogs, and flashers and hootchies or coyote spoons are popular rigs, and trolling slow (1.5 to 2 mph) and up to 160-feet deep is key.

On the Columbia, fishermen use bait-casters or spin-casting rods with 12-pound test and three-way swivels with weights, corkies or spin-n-glows and hooks tipped with maggots or worms to attract bottom-feeding rainbows. Even mini-coloured marshmallows will work if you can’t find any corkies, and they are effective as they provide colour, scent, and buoyancy.

Hatches: Stonefly and mayfly nymphs.
Terrestrials/Other: Blood worms, sculpin, shrimp, fry, kokanee.