Species · Coregonus clupeaformis
Lake Whitefish
A silver, small-mouthed fish of cold deep lakes that most Kootenay anglers mistake for a mountain whitefish, and that was brought here rather than born here.
Family
Salmonidae
Origin
Introduced
Spawns
Sep–Dec (British Columbia)
How to tell it
The lake whitefish is one of the most valuable fish in Canada and one of the least noticed in the Kootenays. Fisheries and Oceans Canada calls it economically, ecologically and culturally one of the most important fish species in the country, the backbone of commercial freshwater fisheries from the Great Lakes north. In British Columbia, the Province says, it is most commonly found in cool, deep lakes, mainly in the north and centre of the province.
It came to the Kootenays by hand. A 2008 special report for COSEWIC, citing McPhail’s Freshwater Fishes of British Columbia, records twenty introduced lake whitefish populations in southern BC, nine of which failed. The failures were mostly in small lakes; the introductions to larger, deeper lakes largely succeeded, and the report names Shuswap, Okanagan, Kootenay and Arrow lakes among them.
So a whitefish from the deep water of Kootenay Lake or the Lower Arrow Lake may be this fish, not the native mountain whitefish common in Kootenay rivers. It is worth a second look before you put it in the bag as one.
The quick read
A silver, deep-lake whitefish with a small mouth and large scales, introduced in the south of BC and native to the north. In the Kootenays, expect it in the big lakes rather than the rivers, and expect to mistake it for a mountain whitefish until you know what to look for. Region 4’s whitefish quota covers all whitefish species together.
Range in British Columbia
Fisheries and Oceans Canada describes the lake whitefish as a fish of cool, deep lakes and large rivers across most of Canada, Alaska and parts of the north-western United States. The Province places it mainly in northern and central BC. South of that, the populations are introduced: the COSEWIC special report names Shuswap, Okanagan, Kootenay and Arrow lakes as successful introductions.
In the Kootenays
Introduced, and a lake fish. Our guide’s listings name lake whitefish for Windermere Lake, the Pend-d’Oreille River, and creeks around Kootenay Lake and the Lower Arrow Lake such as Harrop Creek, Lasca Creek and Syringa Creek. Many of the creek listings are inferred from the lake or river they drain to, and a creek listing usually means the fish is in the water below it, not in the creek. Kootenay Lake and the Arrow Lakes are the waters a government-cited source names.
Habitat and behaviour
Fisheries and Oceans Canada says lake whitefish live in cool, deep lakes and large rivers, and in the south of their range move into cooler, deeper water through the warm months. Young fish eat zooplankton and move on to the adult diet in early summer: bottom-dwelling invertebrates, molluscs and small fish. They grow quickly, mature at three or four years, and generally live to about nineteen.
The Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, describing the same species, adds that they often hold in the lowest couple of feet of the water column in deep water, and that for a short time in spring they feed at the surface. That last habit is the fly angler’s opening.
Confusing species
The mountain whitefish is the one to rule out, and in a Kootenay river it is by far the likelier fish. The two share the silver body, large scales and small mouth that mark all whitefish. The Maine profile describes the lake whitefish’s body as somewhat compressed from side to side, with dark brown to black on the back shading to silver. Oregon Sea Grant describes the mountain whitefish’s prominent snout with a small, down-turned mouth beneath it. Look at the body in cross-section and at how far the snout overhangs the mouth, and think about where you caught it: a deep lake makes a lake whitefish possible; a riffle makes a mountain whitefish near certain.
A kokanee is also silver and lives in the same lakes. The province’s identification guide gives it a long anal fin of 13 or more rays and no distinct black spots on its sides, and marks the whitefish by their large scales and weakly developed or absent teeth.
Fishing for them
Lake whitefish are not a common fly target in the Kootenays, and most are caught by anglers fishing for something else. The Maine fisheries profile describes small baited jigs through the ice and vertical jigging in open water as the usual methods, and mentions small dry flies during the brief spring period when whitefish feed at the surface. A fly angler’s best chance follows the same logic as any stillwater fish feeding on small food: fish chironomids under an indicator in deep water, see chironomid under indicator, or a small dry when they are on top. A Chironomid pattern and fine tippet cover both, and the small mouth means a small hook.
Spawning season
Fisheries and Oceans Canada gives the spawning season as September to December, often triggered when the water drops below 8°C.
Rules that apply
The 2025–2027 BC Freshwater Fishing Regulations Synopsis sets the Region 4 Kootenay daily whitefish quota as 15, all species combined, so lake and mountain whitefish count together; possession is two daily quotas. Check the water-specific tables, because some waters have exceptions, and remember that the regional spring closure applies to all streams in Region 4 from 1 April to 14 June. Read the current BC Freshwater Fishing Regulations before you fish, as quotas change between editions.
Frequently asked questions
Are lake whitefish native to the Kootenays?
No. The COSEWIC special report lists Kootenay and Arrow lakes among successful introductions of lake whitefish in southern BC; the native range is in the north and centre of the province.
Is the whitefish I caught in the river a lake whitefish?
Probably not. The Province describes the mountain whitefish as a fish of swift, clear streams as well as lakes, while lake whitefish belong to cool, deep lakes. Check the snout and body shape.
Do lake and mountain whitefish have separate limits?
Not in Region 4. The 2025–2027 synopsis sets one whitefish quota for all species combined.