Freestone · Limestone · British Columbia, CA

Upper Kootenay River

Kootenay River along Hwy 93 between Radium Hot Springs and Vermilion
Good · Bull Trout
Goodlive now
A proper day on the water
River steady at a fishable height. A proper day for it. Work the seams with an upstream nymph, switch to the dry when they show.
75% confidence
What moved it
  • Level0.60 mLast reading 6h ago
  • Water temp4.7°C
  • ClarityClear
Conditions on the water
Live gauge
Level
Steady
0.60 m
Last reading 6h ago
Water temp4.7°C
ClarityClear
Weather1°C
WindE 3 km/h
Pressure1022 hPa
Rain · recent0.0 mm
Rain · ahead6.0 mm

The nearest gauge doesn't record temperatures, so we've estimated it — defer to the river keeper's advice.

Water temperature for Bull Trout
Cool — slow
5°C est.ideal 6–12°C
0°14°28°
How to fish it · for Bull Trout
When
Nymphing can work through most of the day.
Where
Cover mixed depths.
Method
Start with tight-line nymphs and adjust if fish rise or drift higher.
Kit
9 ft #4 rod, floating line, 12 ft tapered leader to 4–5 lb fluoro tippet.
Why this works
Good — time of day is working for you, but insect activity is the limiting factor today.
Likely species
Chironomids
Gammarids
Hatch timeline · todayQuiet day

Hatch predictions

Today's headline hatch shown — see all 2 active hatches hour by hour as a supporter.

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Sub-surface · on the nymphunder the surface

Hatch predictions

Top nymph shown — see all 2 guilds as a supporter.

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Beyond the hatch · worth watchingambient prey(1)

Hatch predictions

Supporters see what else is on the menu.

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Evidence
Records-basedModerate confidence

Based on species-occurrence records, not local invertebrate surveys.

Through the year
0–3 scale · October highlighted
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Trout seasonSeason
1
2
2
2
1
Brown DunHatch
2
3
3
3
3
3
3
2
Western Green DrakeHatch
2
2
Flav (Small Western Green Drake)Hatch
2
3
2
Mahogany DunHatch
2
2

Numbers are intensity 0 (none) to 3 (peak) — a guide, not a guarantee.

Permits & access
Permit required — see local rules.
  • Native C&R, bull trout protected
  • Verify current BC regs (Region 4).
What's coming
Plan ahead
5-day outlook
Other water nearby · 2
St. Mary River
32 km
73
Cutthroat trout · Bull trout · Rainbow trout
Bull River
46 km
71
Cutthroat trout · Bull trout
Gallery · 2
  1. Kootenay River along Hwy 93 between Radium Hot Springs and Vermilion
  2. Terrain map of the venue
    Terrain map
Conservation note

Native westslope cutthroat (Threatened, C&R) and bull trout (char, protected, C&R), with some rainbows. Whirling disease/didymo concerns — Clean-Drain-Dry.

The full read · show the working · for Bull Trout · confidence 75%
How the 76 is built — score × weight = contribution
Temperature69 × 28%19.3
Flow80 × 22%17.6
Clarity95 × 18%17.1
Feeding Time100 × 13%13.0
Pressure75 × 7%5.3
Insect activity32 × 12%3.8
Conditions total= 76
Can you trust it?
Water temperatureair-to-water estimateestimated
Level / flowon-river gaugeobserved
Prey activitymodelled from regional profilemodelled
What would change the calculation
Warmer water — toward the 6–12 °C ideal band — would lift the temperature score.
Directions
Apple MapsGoogle Maps
Seasons & zones
  • Trout 15 June → 31 October
Related guides
Euro Nymphingsubsurface methods
Booking & contacts