Canada Fly Guide
Rivers & Lakes · Stillwater

Cooper Lake

A stillwater in the Kootenay Lake watershed, Near headwaters of Moyie River, SW of Cranbrook, ~48 ha surface area, holding Westslope (Yellowstone) Cutthroat Trout.
Updated July 30, 2026

Wildfire & Access

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Cooper Lake is a stillwater in the Kootenay Lake watershed, Near headwaters of Moyie River, SW of Cranbrook. ~48 ha surface area.

The water

Cooper Lake lies Near headwaters of Moyie River, SW of Cranbrook; in the Kootenay Lake watershed. It covers ~48 ha surface area.

The fishing

Cooper Lake fishes on classic stillwater lines: chironomids over the shoals, leech and attractor retrieves along the drop-offs, and depth or troll work to the shoal-and-drop-off structure. Match the season and confirm against a local report.

waves
Stillwater
Kootenay Lake watershed
straighten
48 ha
surface area
set_meal
Westslope (Yellowstone) Cutthroat Trout
recorded

Conditions

  • Water-health signal: poor (health index 8), 1 species over 9 observations.

Access & the rules

Confirm the launch, parking and any motor/float or seasonal restrictions for Cooper Lake locally before you commit a day; the map shows where the lake sits in its drainage.

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Before you fish

Confirm the current BC freshwater fishing regulations (Region 4 – Kootenay) before you go. Official synopsis: gov.bc.ca fishing regulations.