Lake Koocanusa is a lake in British Columbia most easily accessed from Kikomun Creek Provincial Park. The lake itself is located west of Highway 3/93. The nearest town to Lake Koocanusa is Fernie BC which is approximately 20 miles (32 km) away. The lake came into existence in 1972 when the Libby Dam formed it. Since Lake Koocanusa is basically manmade, its size varies drastically due to the changing water depths of nearby rivers. The lake is at its largest in September.
Lake Koocanusa is home to many different types of fish making it a fisher's paradise. Fish that are common to the lake include stocked Yellowstone cutthroat, Gerrard strain rainbow trout and Kokanee. Natural residents of the lake are Burbot and Whitefish. The best way to catch most of these types of fish is through trolling with small silver and red lures. Baited lures also work well. The lake also has private facilities available to visitors. One private facility popular with visitors is Sunshine Houseboats, which promotes itself as "your cottage on the lake." Houseboats can be chartered for three, four or even seven days. Rates for the Sunshine Houseboats vary from $920 CAD to $5795 CAD.
Lake Koocanusa is 198 kilometers long and is held back by the 422-foot tall Libby Dam. Libby Dam is located 16 miles upstream from the town of Libby and provides hydroelectric power and flood protection to the town. Lake Koocanusa is the reservoir for the Libby Dam. The lake received its name in a contest to name the reservoir when it was first created. The winner of the contest was Alice Beers from Rexford, Montana who combined the first three letters from Kootenai River, with the first three letters of Canada and USA.
