The West Arm of Kootenay Lake is well-known for producing exceptional-sized kokanee. As the outlet of Kootenay Lake, the arm has an ongoing current that pulls mysis shrimp and other food items on a “conveyor belt” to awaiting kokanee. The kokanee are vulnerable to capture as they congregate to forage in this relatively narrow and shallow area. To protect the wild kokanee from over-harvesting, provincial fishing regulations limit the fishery to open on very specific days, so you need to plan your outing accordingly. For example, due to an in-season regulation change, the Upper West Arm is only open to kokanee harvest of five fish per day for the first two days of each month from April through July (see Kokanee). The Lower West Arm is open to a harvest limit of five kokanee on Saturday and Sunday only, year ’round. The same fishing methods that are effective on Wood Lake (Typically on Wood Lake, people catch kokanee trolling using an attractor (gang trolls, mini-flashers, or #00 dodgers) followed by a short section of line tied to a a smaller-sized lure (like a “wedding ring” spinner, smallest size of Apex, or small spoon) along with the hook “sweetened” with some bait (like an often-preferred dyed pink maggot). In the spring, a small weight will be sufficient to get your lures in the strike zone, but as the season progresses and surface water warms, kokanee will be found in deeper water where downriggers are helpful in getting your lures down) should work on the West Arm, but small red or pink lead jigs that are jigged vertically are also reported to work well. Author: Paul Askey, Freshwater Fisheries Society of BC Staff Original Post: https://www.gofishbc.com/Blog/Where-to-Fish/Two-Interior-Kokanee-Fisheries-that-Are-Hot-Right.aspx