A stocked stillwater in the Columbia River watershed, S.W. of Big Fish Lake, surface area not recorded, carrying Rainbow Trout, Westslope (Yellowstone) Cutthroat Trout and Cutthroat Trout and topped up by the provincial stocking program.
Whary Lake is a stocked stillwater in the Columbia River watershed, S.W. of Big Fish Lake. Surface area not recorded.
The water
Whary Lake lies S.W. of Big Fish Lake; in the Columbia River watershed. It covers surface area not recorded.
Stocking
For an angler judging whether the fishing is worth the drive, the stocking record is the fishing report. Whary Lake is a put-and-take angling fishery, stocked with catchable game fish: 52 recorded releases totalling 626,291 fish (Rainbow Trout, Westslope (Yellowstone) Cutthroat Trout, Cutthroat Trout), last stocked 2026-05-19.
It is still stocked (most recent release 2026-05-19), 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
Whary 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.
waves
Stocked Stillwater
Columbia River watershed
egg
Stocked
put-and-take
Access & the rules
Confirm the launch, parking and any motor/float or seasonal restrictions for Whary Lake locally before you commit a day; the map shows where the lake sits in its drainage.
gavel
Before you fish
Confirm the current BC freshwater fishing regulations (Region 4 – Kootenay) before you go. Official synopsis: gov.bc.ca fishing regulations.
