Barren is a stocked stillwater in the Elk River watershed. Surface area not recorded.
The water
Barren sits in the Elk River watershed, covering surface area not recorded.
Stocking
For an angler judging whether the fishing is worth the drive, the stocking record is the fishing report. Barren is a put-and-take angling fishery, stocked with catchable game fish: 10 recorded releases totalling 13,000 fish (Westslope (Yellowstone) Cutthroat Trout), last stocked 2012-10-02.
Barren — 13,000 fish stocked, 1986–2012
Cutthroat Trout. Source: Province of BC — FIDQ / FISS Fish Releases via the Freshwater Fisheries Society of BC.
| Year | Cutthroat Trout |
|---|---|
| 2012 | 1,000 |
| 2010 | 1,000 |
| 2008 | 1,000 |
| 2004 | 1,000 |
| 2002 | 1,000 |
| 2000 | 1,000 |
| 1996 | 1,000 |
| 1992 | 2,000 |
| 1990 | 2,000 |
| 1986 | 2,000 |
Stocking appears to have wound down after 2012. Confirm whether it is still topped up or now fishes as a residual, wild population. The chart below shows the full release history.
The fishing
Barren 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.
Access & the rules
Confirm the launch, parking and any motor/float or seasonal restrictions for Barren locally before you commit a day; the map shows where the lake sits in its drainage.
