Good fishing, close to home
Chelsey Harasiuk offers this overview of Cranbrook-area family fishing spots, posted on www.bcfishin.com:
"Here are a few of my favourite lakes to get your family started in hooking the big one!
"No. 1 on my list is Jim Smith Lake Provincial Park ... only 5 km from the downtown of the city. Jim Smith lake provides up to 35 campsites, a day-use area with a beach, swimming and hiking, so there is plenty of activities for the whole family. When out fishing on the lake you will come across four species that inhabit these waters depending the time of year. There are plenty of perch, bass and burbot or freshwater lingcod. Also for the 2013/2014 year rainbow trout have been re-stocked into this lake. Bring a variety of tackle but some must-haves are spinnerbaits, poppers, rubber worms, Panther Martins and Mepps spinners. Also a bobber with some bait works well, too! It is possible to fish from shore but it can be quite crowded during the day so head down for an evening fish instead. This lake has a powerboat restriction, but get out in your kayak, canoe, pontoon, belly boat, etc. The evenings here are fairly calm and it's common to see lots of fish rising. Time to bring out the fly rod and catch some of those rainbows that have been stocked. The bass will take a well-presented fly as well. Some flies to have would be caddis, hopper flies, Adams and some poppers. The burbot are usually more often caught during the winter. If you get lucky, you could have the possibility of catching all the species in one day on the water, and yes, there are some big ones lurking in there.
"No. 2 on my list is Horseshoe Lake. To get there from Cranbrook head north on highway #3/95 towards Fort Steele heritage town then about 300 meters past there take the first right onto Wardner/Fort Steele road and continue driving for about 11 km. Keep an eye out to left side for a bunch of baseball caps on the fence posts and then turn left. You can take any road; they basically all join together and do a loop around the lake. Although the lake most definitely does not resemble a horseshoe in shape, it still has lots to offer for the family. Set in some stunning scenery, a user-maintained recreation site has camping situated around the entire lake, from sunny and open to more private and treed in. This area can be a base camp for other adventures such as backpacking, hiking and swimming. While staying here you may want to see Fort Steele or the Nip and Tuck goldmine. The fishing can be challenging on this lake, even though it is stocked. Springtime is best; bring out your fly rod and go with a chironomid pattern. The water here is very clear due to a spring that feeds it, so the fish can be easily spooked when water is calm. Most evenings the fish are rising like crazy for the many insect hatches, so bring a good assortment of dry flies. Fishing from shore is possible but mostly during the spring when the water levels are up otherwise it is quite shallow and weedy. Yes there are rumors of rainbow trout that can reach up to 8 pounds in this lake!! This lake is a great from a belly boat or pontoon. Horseshoe lake also has a power boat restriction.
"No. 3 on my list is Norbury Lake Provincial Park, also located near Cranbrook a few minutes past Horseshoe Lake on the Wardner/Fort Steele Road. Activities include water skiing, hiking and swimming. A trail connects Norbury to Peckams Lake, which is also part of the park and is a good chance to view wildlife. If you get the opportunity , check out the Kootenay fish hatchery, which is only a short drive down the road. It's a great way to learn about the stocking program for the area. They also have a fish pond and pellets that you can purchase to feed those big hungry fish right by their front doors! Norbury and Peckams are both stocked with rainbow trout, small spinners work, bobbers with worms and some good dry-fly fishing. With these lakes being so close to the hatchery, they sometimes release a few adult rainbows just to add to the fun!
Good fishing does not stop at these particular lakes. There are many others that have some big bass, brook trout kokanee. Sometimes a little more effort is required to reach them and a 4×4 vehicle is necessary. Pick yourself up a backroads mapbook to help you find them. Also, I recommend checking out Cranbrook’s local fly shop, the St. Mary Angler and Mountain Man Outdoors.
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