The Field Journal
Rivers & Lakes · Stocked Stillwater

Fish Lake

A stocked stillwater in the Bull River watershed, Head of Lussier River, NE of Cranbrook, ~6.9 ha surface area, topped up by the provincial stocking program.

Fish Lake is a stocked stillwater in the Bull River watershed, Head of Lussier River, NE of Cranbrook. ~6.9 ha surface area.

The water

Fish Lake lies Head of Lussier River, NE of Cranbrook; in the Bull River watershed. It covers ~6.9 ha surface area. The lake survey puts it at max 5.8 m, mean 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. Fish Lake is a put-and-take angling fishery, stocked with catchable game fish: 59 recorded releases totalling 243,262 fish (Rainbow Trout, Westslope (Yellowstone) Cutthroat Trout, Brook Trout), last stocked 2026-06-22.

Stocking record

Fish Lake — 243,262 fish stocked, 1939–2026

Rainbow Trout, Cutthroat Trout, Brook Trout. Source: Province of BC — FIDQ / FISS Fish Releases via the Freshwater Fisheries Society of BC.

YearRainbow TroutCutthroat TroutBrook Trout
2026800··
2025800··
20241,000··
20231,500··
20221,500··
20211,500··
20201,500··
20191,500··
20181,500··
20171,627··
20161,500··
20151,500··
20141,500··
20131,500··
20121,500··
20111,500··
20101,500··
20091,500··
20081,500··
20071,500··
20061,500··
20051,500··
20041,500··
20031,500··
20021,500··
20011,500··
20001,500··
19991,500··
19981,500··
19971,500··
19961,500··
19951,500··
19941,500··
19931,500··
19921,500··
19911,500··
19901,500··
19891,500··
19881,500··
19871,5005,000·
19861,500··
19852,500··
19842,500··
19825,000··
19815,000··
197610,000··
197510,000··
197410,000··
19702,500··
1954·8,000·
1953·10,020·
19512,00011,860·
1950·22,155·
1949·11,000·
1945·16,000·
1942··20,000
1939··30,000

It is still stocked (most recent release 2026-06-22), 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

Fish 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
Bull River watershed
straighten
6.9 ha
surface area
water
max 5.8 m, mean 3 m
lake survey
egg
Stocked
put-and-take

Conditions

  • Depth: max 5.8 m, mean 3 m (BC lake survey 1969-08-07).
  • Water-health signal: good (health index 23), 3 species over 65 observations.

Access & the rules

Confirm the launch, parking and any motor/float or seasonal restrictions for Fish 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.