Shuswap Lake fishing regulations
Shuswap Lake is a lake in Region 3 (Thompson-Nicola), management unit 3-26. Here is what the 2025–2027 synopsis says about it, and the regional rules that apply on top.
Rules for Shuswap Lake
See maps on page 28) (includes Little Shuswap Lake, that part of South Thompson River between Shuswap Lake and Little Shuswap Lake, Seymour, Anstey and Salmon arms and Mara Lake unless stated otherwise
- No Fishing Mar 15-May 14, and rainbow trout and char catch and release, May 15-Mar 14, in the waters lying west of a line between signs at Henstridge Road and Wharf Road to a line between signs on the south and north shores of Little Shuswap Lake (see map A on page 28)
- No Fishing in the entire area north of Albas, Mar 15-May 14 (see map B on page 28)
- No Fishing east of a line between fishing boundary signs on Murdock and Semaphore points, to Hwy 1 bridge, Mar 15-May 14 (see map C on page 28)
- No fishing in Salmon Arm Bay, west of line between Engineer’s Point and Sunnybrae Point (see map on page 28), for the conservation of chinook and coho salmon stocks, Sept 1-Dec 31 (anglers fishing from the community pier in the city of Salmon Arm are exempt from the closure)
- No Ice Fishing
- Rainbow trout daily quota = 1 (none under 50 cm), annual quota = 5
- Char daily quota = 1 (none under 60 cm), annual quota = 5
- Bait ban, single barbless hook (anglers fishing from the community pier in the city of Salmon Arm are exempt from the bait ban)
- Conservation Surcharge Stamp required to catch and keep rainbow trout over 50 cm or char over 60 cm
Region 3 quotas
Unless the rules above set a different quota for Shuswap Lake:
- Region 3 daily quotas: Trout/char: 5, but not more than 4 from streams, 1 over 50 cm, 1 bull trout (Dolly Varden) or lake trout, none under 60 cm. You must release all steelhead, bull trout (Dolly Varden) from streams Aug 1-Oct 31, lake trout from Oct 15-Jan 31.
- Bass: 0 quota, closed to fishing. Burbot: 2. Crayfish: 25. Kokanee: 5 (none from streams). Whitefish: 15 (all species combined). White sturgeon: catch and release only. Yellow perch: 0 quota, closed to fishing.
Other Region 3 rules for lakes
- Steelhead fisheries closed: Thompson River downstream of signs at Kamloops Lake outlet to the confluence with Fraser River, Oct 1-May 31; Fraser River from Hwy 99 bridge at Lillooet to BC Hydro tail race outflow channel, and from the confluence with Thompson River to CNR Bridge approximately 1 km downstream, Oct 1-May 31; Nahatlatch River downstream of Nahatlatch Lake and Stein River, Jan 1-May 31; Frances and Hannah lakes, Jan 1-May 31; Seton River downstream of Seton Lake, Apr 1-May 31.
Know your fish
The rules here name these fish. Not sure what you caught?
More waters in the Thompson-Nicola
Thompson River · North Thompson River · South Thompson River · Kamloops Lake · Adams River · Adams Lake · Lac Le Jeune · Roche Lake