Upper Elk Lake is a stocked stillwater in the Elk River watershed, Head of Elk River. Surface area not recorded.
The water
Upper Elk Lake lies Head of Elk River; in the Elk River watershed. It covers surface area not recorded. The lake survey puts it at max 52.3 m, which sets the depth you fish.
Stocking
For an angler judging whether the fishing is worth the drive, the stocking record is the fishing report. Upper Elk Lake is a put-and-take angling fishery, stocked with catchable game fish: 18 recorded releases totalling 35,125 fish (Westslope (Yellowstone) Cutthroat Trout), last stocked 2024-10-03.
Aosta Lower — 35,125 fish stocked, 1985–2024
Cutthroat Trout. Source: Province of BC — FIDQ / FISS Fish Releases via the Freshwater Fisheries Society of BC.
| Year | Cutthroat Trout |
|---|---|
| 2024 | 1,000 |
| 2021 | 1,000 |
| 2018 | 1,000 |
| 2016 | 1,000 |
| 2014 | 1,000 |
| 2012 | 1,000 |
| 2010 | 1,000 |
| 2008 | 1,000 |
| 2004 | 1,000 |
| 2002 | 1,000 |
| 2000 | 1,000 |
| 1998 | 1,500 |
| 1996 | 1,625 |
| 1992 | 5,000 |
| 1990 | 5,000 |
| 1989 | 5,000 |
| 1986 | 2,000 |
| 1985 | 4,000 |
It is still stocked (most recent release 2024-10-03), so it fishes as a put-grow water: this season's fish come from the latest cohorts, topped up to keep it going. The chart below shows the release history by year and species.
The fishing
Upper Elk Lake fishes as a put-grow stillwater: work chironomids under an indicator over the shoals in spring, then leech and attractor retrieves along the drop-offs as the shallows warm. The stocking record below is the truest read on the size and cohort of fish you will find.
Conditions
- Depth: max 52.3 m, Secchi 0.7 m (BC lake survey 1990-08-01).
Access & the rules
Confirm the launch, parking and any motor/float or seasonal restrictions for Upper Elk Lake locally before you commit a day; the map shows where the lake sits in its drainage.
