Kootenay Lake: October fishing started out with a bang as water temperatures dropped below 60 degrees (16C) and fish moved toward the surface.
Anglers have been averaging 10 to 20 fish per day, with the average rainbow around two- to three-pound and the odd fish over five pounds.
Bucktailing remains the traditional go-to technique for landing rainbow trout feeding on kokanee near the surface.
Let out plenty of line to avoid scaring fish away from the boat, maintain a steady trolling speed, and target smooth, quiet waters in early morning or evening light.
Top-water rainbows are striking Gibbs Crocs and Lux Flies aggressively; go-to bucktail patterns include #215, 222, and 226, while the brass and fire stripe combo has been producing best for spoons.
We’ve also been hooking plenty of deep bull trout on downriggers.
Running a Gibbs STS flasher ahead of a green pistachio hoochie or Skinny G spoon in the 100 to 150-foot range has been the key to success.
October, November, and December are favourite fall months for fishing on the lake, so stay tuned!
Columbia River: October was an exceptional month for walleye and not so bad for rainbow trout on the Columbia.
Crisp fall mornings welcomed anglers with temperatures hovering around 3°C, but warmed up to 18°C with clear, sunny skies in the afternoon.
Dropping water levels pushed fish into active runs and back eddies, where anglers found success using a variety of methods from fly fishing to bottom bouncing.
For rainbows, anglers have been targeting big eddies, seams, and drop offs near shore where fish transition after high water.
Dry-fly action was often good when fish were rising in slack water and eddies to feed on emerging October caddis.
Nymphing was also productive. When water is low in the fall, fly anglers target oxygenated tailouts and runs for good results.
Effective patterns include the October Caddis patterns in size 8–10, Stimulators, Chubby Chernobyls, Elk Hair Caddis with orange bodies, as well as Pickle patterns, Sculpins, and a variety of nymph patterns.
Anglers report that the rainbows caught were in the 17 to 20-inch range, with the occasional 23 to 24-inch lunker.
Walleye fishing was exceptional in the fall, with anglers often catching their limits. Target deeper, slow-moving sections where average walleye run around 2–3 pounds.
Reports of big walleye catches carried through October. This angler was successful using a cream-colour jig-head fly on a spincaster, and on the fly rod with a full sink line – the best walleye producers were an egg-sucking leech pattern, woolly bugger, and muddler minnow.
The walleye hole at the confluence of the Pend d’Oreille and Columbia Rivers below Waneta Dam (near Trail) remains a peak hotspot into November, others are Trimac Eddy, several spots around Rock Island, and north of Sunningdale.
Popular techniques include jigging a 1/4 to 3/4-ounce weight with Mack’s spinners, using three-way rigs from shore, or spin-casting jigheads with rubber twister tails work well from shore or jigged from a boat.
The Kootenay Lake fishing report was provided by Kerry Reed owner of Reel Adventures Sport Fishing Charters out of Nelson. Contact Kerry at 250-505-4963 or go online to reeladventuresfishing.com.