Michel Creek is a tributary creek flowing into Elk River. Recorded fish: Westslope cutthroat, bull trout, rainbow, cutthroat, dolly varden, kokanee.
The water
It flows into Elk River within the Elk River watershed (Elk River → Kootenay River). It runs stream order 6 (well down the network, toward river scale; the scale runs from 1 for a headwater trickle to 6+ for a river) and roughly 49 km. Westslope Cutthroat Trout, Bull Trout, Rainbow Trout, cutthroat, dolly varden, Kokanee, recorded here in provincial fish-inventory data (307 records). Named tributaries in the index: Alexander Creek, Leach Creek, Andy Good Creek, Wheeler Creek, Erickson Creek, Corbin Creek, Fir Creek, Carbon Creek, Robert Creek, Crahan Creek, Bodie Creek, Tent Creek.
Stocking
For an angler judging whether the fishing is worth the drive, the stocking record is the fishing report. Michel Creek is a put-and-take angling fishery, stocked with catchable game fish: 17 recorded releases totalling 647,025 fish (Westslope (Yellowstone) Cutthroat Trout, Brook Trout), last stocked 1953-01-01.
Michel Creek — 647,025 fish stocked, 1924–1953
Cutthroat Trout, Brook Trout. Source: Province of BC — FIDQ / FISS Fish Releases via the Freshwater Fisheries Society of BC.
| Year | Cutthroat Trout | Brook Trout |
|---|---|---|
| 1953 | 30,000 | · |
| 1952 | 30,000 | · |
| 1951 | 22,295 | · |
| 1950 | 20,000 | · |
| 1949 | 20,000 | · |
| 1947 | 24,265 | · |
| 1946 | 47,980 | · |
| 1945 | 100,170 | · |
| 1944 | 30,000 | · |
| 1943 | 94,425 | · |
| 1942 | 100,565 | · |
| 1941 | 17,325 | · |
| 1930 | · | 20,000 |
| 1929 | · | 10,000 |
| 1926 | · | 20,000 |
| 1925 | · | 40,000 |
| 1924 | · | 20,000 |
Stocking appears to have wound down after 1953. 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
As a small stream, a tributary of Elk River, Michel Creek fishes the way creeks of its size do: short drifts with a buoyant attractor dry over a light dropper, working the pocket water and the heads of pools. The stocking record below is the truest read on what you will catch.
Access & the rules
Access for Michel Creek, meaning the roads in, put-ins and any walk-in or seasonal limits, is worth confirming locally before you commit a day. The drainage map shows how the water sits in its valley.
