Summit Lake is a stocked stillwater in the Elk River watershed, NW. of Crowsnest Pass. Surface area not recorded.
The water
Summit Lake lies NW. of Crowsnest Pass; in the Elk River watershed. It covers surface area not recorded. The lake survey puts it at max 5 m, mean 3.7 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. Summit Lake is a put-and-take angling fishery, stocked with catchable game fish: 92 recorded releases totalling 1,316,640 fish (Rainbow Trout, Brook Trout, Westslope (Yellowstone) Cutthroat Trout), last stocked 2026-06-22.
Summit Lake — 1,824,108 fish stocked, 1925–2026
Rainbow Trout, Cutthroat Trout, Brook Trout. Source: Province of BC — FIDQ / FISS Fish Releases via the Freshwater Fisheries Society of BC.
| Year | Rainbow Trout | Cutthroat Trout | Brook Trout |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 5,000 | 2,036 | · |
| 2025 | 5,000 | 4,000 | · |
| 2024 | 4,000 | · | · |
| 2023 | 5,000 | 500 | · |
| 2022 | 5,000 | 4,000 | · |
| 2021 | 6,500 | 4,000 | · |
| 2020 | 6,000 | · | · |
| 2019 | 4,930 | 4,500 | · |
| 2018 | 5,087 | · | · |
| 2017 | 7,000 | · | · |
| 2016 | 7,000 | · | · |
| 2015 | 7,000 | · | · |
| 2014 | 8,200 | · | · |
| 2013 | 7,000 | · | · |
| 2012 | 7,000 | · | · |
| 2011 | 8,200 | · | · |
| 2010 | 7,000 | · | · |
| 2009 | 7,000 | · | · |
| 2008 | 9,000 | · | · |
| 2007 | 9,197 | · | · |
| 2006 | 7,000 | · | · |
| 2005 | 7,500 | 2,500 | · |
| 2004 | 5,000 | 2,600 | · |
| 2003 | 10,000 | 5,000 | · |
| 2002 | 10,000 | · | · |
| 2001 | 10,000 | 3,000 | · |
| 2000 | 10,000 | 5,000 | · |
| 1999 | 15,000 | 3,000 | · |
| 1998 | 15,000 | 20,000 | · |
| 1997 | 15,000 | 4,100 | · |
| 1996 | 15,000 | 20,000 | · |
| 1995 | 18,000 | · | · |
| 1994 | 23,000 | · | · |
| 1993 | 23,000 | · | · |
| 1992 | 18,000 | · | · |
| 1991 | 18,000 | · | · |
| 1990 | 23,000 | · | · |
| 1989 | 23,000 | · | · |
| 1988 | 13,000 | · | · |
| 1987 | 19,500 | · | · |
| 1986 | 3,000 | · | · |
| 1985 | 2,250 | · | · |
| 1981 | 10,000 | · | 3,550 |
| 1979 | 10,000 | · | · |
| 1978 | 1,000 | · | · |
| 1976 | 10,000 | · | · |
| 1975 | 20,000 | · | 5,000 |
| 1974 | 12,000 | · | 3,000 |
| 1973 | 15,000 | · | · |
| 1972 | 12,000 | · | · |
| 1971 | 12,000 | · | · |
| 1970 | 10,000 | · | · |
| 1969 | 5,000 | · | · |
| 1968 | 10,000 | · | · |
| 1964 | 4,000 | · | · |
| 1963 | 5,000 | · | · |
| 1962 | 8,750 | · | 3,825 |
| 1961 | 9,635 | · | · |
| 1960 | 10,000 | · | · |
| 1959 | 35,478 | · | · |
| 1958 | 4,000 | · | · |
| 1956 | 16,000 | · | · |
| 1949 | 35,000 | · | · |
| 1948 | 19,270 | · | · |
| 1947 | 20,000 | · | · |
| 1946 | 25,000 | · | · |
| 1945 | 20,000 | · | · |
| 1944 | 20,000 | 25,000 | · |
| 1943 | 42,500 | 10,000 | · |
| 1942 | 43,000 | 155,000 | · |
| 1941 | 45,000 | 25,000 | · |
| 1940 | 230,000 | 25,000 | · |
| 1939 | 80,000 | 28,000 | · |
| 1938 | 20,000 | 30,000 | · |
| 1937 | 20,000 | · | · |
| 1936 | 20,000 | · | · |
| 1935 | 8,000 | · | · |
| 1934 | 10,000 | · | · |
| 1932 | 15,000 | 40,000 | · |
| 1930 | 25,000 | · | · |
| 1929 | 12,500 | · | · |
| 1927 | 8,000 | · | · |
| 1926 | 10,000 | · | · |
| 1925 | 5,000 | · | · |
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
Summit 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 5 m, mean 3.7 m, Secchi 2 m (BC lake survey 1985-09-19).
Access & the rules
Confirm the launch, parking and any motor/float or seasonal restrictions for Summit Lake locally before you commit a day; the map shows where the lake sits in its drainage.
