There are few things in life as rewarding as landing a huge fish on your line after hours of casting, especially if you are doing so while fishing in Glacier National Park. Canada’s extensive collection of lakes and rivers are home to many beautiful species of fish including trout, salmon and sturgeon. While angling in National Parks is permitted with a fishing license, there are many rules to keep in mind when dropping your line into the alpine waters of Glacier National Park. Keep reading this article to learn all the do’s and don’t of fishing in Glacier National Park, British Columbia.
Golden Ticket
To legally drop your line in any of Canada’s National Parks you must obtain both a national park fishing license and a national parks pass for the respective park you’ll be visiting. Anyone under the age of 16 can fish without a parks license but must be accompanied by someone over the age of 16 with a fishing license. National park fishing licenses and park passes can be purchased from any national park visitor centre.
Lake It or Leave It
Fishing season in Glacier National Park runs from July 1 – October 31, in all lakes. Rivers and streams are closed all year round and cannot be fished in even with a national park fishing license. Kinbasket lake and the aptly named Trout Lake are both great options for landing a healthy lake trout.
No Motors
To keep Glacier National Park’s waters clear and pristine outboard motors of any kind are not permitted. Motor less aquatic vessels like canoes, kayaks and paddle boards are allowed but subject to mandatory inspections for invasive species such as zebra mussels and algae. To prevent the possible spread of invasive species, it’s important to clean, drain and dry any water gear before moving to a new body of water.
No Live Bait
The use of any part of another fish either living or dead as bait is strictly prohibited as well as use of lures with more than two gang hooks and lines capable of catching multiple fish at one time. Traditional single line rods with lures and flies over 50 grams should be the only setup used when fishing the lakes of Glacier.
Bare Necessities
Fishing Glacier National Park means a strict catch and release policy, to keep fish populations healthy the possession limit for any species is zero. In a further effort to protect fish from whirling disease (transmitted via spores in mud and resulting in skeletal deformities for fish) felt-soled wading boots are not permitted. The felt material may provide superior grip on slippery rocks but it is hard to clean and can easily transmit whirling disease spores. In short, fishing in Glacier National Park should be little more than you, your rod and your trusty rubber boots.
Understandably, there are many rules and regulations that should be followed when dropping a hook into one of Canada’s protected bodies of water. Following the above guidelines ensures our fish populations flourish within the borders of our National Parks. So ditch the fishing boats and down riggers and return to a simpler more enriching form of fishing where it’s just you, your hook and a curious trout looking for his next meal. For the perfect home base to rest and replenish after a long day of casting, book a stay at Heather Mountain Lodge, exceptional accommodations located in the heart of Glacier National Park.