Trophy Rainbow Trout — Interior BC
Massive rainbow trout live in all seven of the lakes we run — including the legendary Gerrard rainbow strain on both Okanagan Lake and the Arrow Lakes. They're the headline reason most guests book with us, and the reason an Interior BC fishing trip beats almost any rainbow water on the continent.
Why Interior BC rainbows get massive
BC's interior lakes are deep, cold, oligotrophic, and full of forage — kokanee, sculpin, freshwater shrimp. Rainbow trout that grow up in this water put on length and weight at a rate that lower-elevation rainbows simply can't match. The result: a species that runs small in most of the province grows considerably larger here, with occasional trophy-class fish in the right water.
Where to fish for trophy rainbows with us
- Okanagan Lake — our home water
- Home water for trophy Gerrard-strain rainbows as well as kokanee. Most of the trophy-rainbow photos you see on this site were taken on Okanagan Lake. Year-round; downrigger trolling along main-lake structure and the deep stretches between Knox Mountain and Squally Point.
- Upper & Lower Arrow Lakes
- The other home of the Gerrard rainbow strain — landlocked giants that spawn in the Lardeau River. Spring spawn run and fall are prime. Big-plug trolling on downriggers near the river mouth and along main-lake structure.
- Kinbasket Lake
- Vast remote reservoir — minimal pressure, big rainbows on long flat-line trolling. Best on multi-day trips.
- Mabel Lake
- Quiet wilderness lake east of Enderby. Cold water, healthy forage base, big rainbows for guests willing to do a full-day private trip.
- Shuswap Lake
- Multi-arm system with rainbow-trout structure on every arm — particularly the Anstey and Seymour arms. Year-round.
- Kalamalka Lake
- Smaller water, less pressure than Okanagan, sight-fishing-clear turquoise. Surprising rainbows for guests staying in Vernon.
- Skaha Lake
- South-Okanagan rainbow water below Penticton. Quieter than Okanagan Lake, productive on the structure.
How we fish for them
Year-round downrigger trolling — Apex plugs, large spoons, and big flies depending on what's working that week. Speeds 1.8–2.6 mph for rainbows (faster than kokanee). Depths vary — 20–60 ft in cool seasons, 60–120 ft in summer. We run an artificial-only program — no live bait — which is gentler on released fish and a competitive differentiator.
Catch & release vs. keeping a fish
Trophy rainbows over 8 lbs are released, every time, on every lake we run. Smaller eating-size fish can be kept where the regulations allow and you have a current BC freshwater licence with the appropriate species endorsements. Captain Dennis will brief you on retention rules for the lake we're on before any fish goes in the cooler.
Hunt one of these on your next trip. Book a trophy rainbow charter →