Fishing in British Columbia: The North West

Fraser Plateau
The corridor from Prince George to Smithers has some of the best fishing in the province - an oft-repeated claim, but in this case, categorically true. This truly is prime fishing country: far enough south to grow the big fish, but not far enough south that it has been overfished.

The area between Vanderhoof and Houston is known as the Lakes Forest District, and almost every lake offers new fishing opportunities. To list all the good fishing holes would be to list all the lakes between Prince George and Smithers, and most of the rivers as well. To protect stocks, there are some restrictions in place. The two largest rivers in the province, the Fraser River and the Skeena River, both flow through this region, with excellent fishing in both the rivers and their tributaries, and quick access from Highway 16.

Houston, 30 miles (50 km) southeast of Smithers on Hwy 16, is home of the largest fly-fishing rod in the world. The fishing is par excellence in the lakes and rivers that surround Houston, which can rightfully claim to be the steelhead capital of Canada. Local anglers are the best source of day-to-day information on where the fish are biting, and can usually be ambushed having coffee at the A&W Restaurant early in the morning. Fishing licences are available in downtown Houston. The Houston Visitor Info Centre located under the giant fly-rod, produces a pamphlet outlining more than two dozen steelhead fishing spots in the Houston area, including Morice Lake, 51 miles (84 km) southwest of Houston, Morice River, and Collins Lake, 34 miles (56 km) south of Houston, all along the Morice River Forest Road.

Babine Lake is filled with huge fish. Rainbow trout grow as big as 12 pounds (5.5 kg), while char range up to 20 pounds (9 kg). Babine Lake Provincial Parks - Pendleton Bay, Red Bluff, and Smithers Landing Provincial Parks - are all located on Babine Lake.

Hwy 16 follows the Bulkley River for more than 97 miles (160 km), from Rose Lake to Hazelton. Anglers can try for rainbow and cutthroat trout, dolly varden, steelhead, chinook, and coho in many fishing holes easily reached from the highway. A popular spot is at the confluence of the Bulkley and Morice Rivers, near Telkwa.

Paradise Lake, 24.5 miles (40 km) from Telkwa along rough road, is a trout angler's paradise. Turn north of Hwy 16, 5 miles (8 km) east of Telkwa. Tyhee Lake, 1 mile (2 km) north of Telkwa, is another great place to catch trout; there's a boat launch at Tyhee Lake Provincial Park.

Near Fort St. James, fishing is centred around Stuart Lake. Sowchea Bay Provincial Recreation Area has a boat launch. Beware the high winds on this vast lake. For a more remote fishing experience, try Takla Lake Provincial Marine Park, almost 84 miles (135 km) northwest of Hwy 27 in Fort St. James via a network of gravel Forest Service roads, or any of the Nation Lakes, north of Fort St. James and east of Takla Lake.

The Nechako River in the Lakes Forest District once boasted one of the strongest salmon runs in the province. Since the building of the Kenney Dam, stocks in the Nechako have been in decline, in part due to an insufficient and inconsistent amount of water released annually from the dam into the river. That being said, the Nechako Reservoir is still a popular place to fish. A freshwater fishing licence can be obtained at Burns Lake.

Most angling trips in the Lakes Forest District begin from the Forest Service boat launch at Ootsa Lake, south of Burns Lake. Ootsa Lake is part of the massive Nechako Reservoir system and marks the northern boundary of Tweedsmuir Provincial Park. A network of back roads leads to Ootsa Lake via Francois Lake. The quickest way across Francois Lake is on the free ferry, which runs frequently between the towns of Francois Lake and Southbank. The town of Francois Lake lies about 14 miles (23 km) south of Burns Lake on Hwy 35. Ootsa Lake lies a further 26 miles (42 km) south of Southbank, along well-marked gravel Forest Service roads. A variety of private operators provide guided fishing tours and accommodations on the reservoir. Note: All fish caught in Tweedsmuir Provincial Park must be registered at park headquarters on Whitesail Lake.

The Bulkley and Skeena River Valleys
In this glacier-carved ground, where the long fingers of fjords hold hands with rivers, and lakes collect in the gouged rock, the fishing is just about anything you want it to be. Freshwater fishing - for rainbow, cutthroat, and dolly varden trout; chinook, coho, pink, and sockeye salmon; and the feisty steelhead - can be done at both accessible and remote locations. For remote areas, there are charter operations, helicopters, and floatplanes. For accessible areas, there's the paved highway.

Fly-fishing is excellent on Ross Lake, best reached from Ross Lake Provincial Park, on Hwy 16, 38 miles (62 km) west of Smithers, near New Hazelton. On a summer day, the park is popular with anglers, boaters (electric motors only), and swimmers alike. At Seeley Lake, west of New Hazelton, cutthroat and rainbow trout fishing is a peaceful experience, as there is car-top-boat launching only. These trout average 1 to 3 pounds (0.5 to 1.5 kg).

If you're looking for just a bit more excitement, the Skeena River watershed offers some of the largest steelhead and salmon in the world. The average chinook caught weighs in at 35 to 50 pounds (16 to 23 kg), but they can be 90 pounds (40 kg) or larger. Fish for coho in the Skeena and its tributaries, the Kasiks, Gitnadoix, Exchamsiks, Exstew, Lakelse, and Kitsumkalum Rivers, as well as the Kitimat and Nass River systems. Runs peak in September and October, although coho start to appear in July and don't completely disappear until December.

Farther upstream, the Morice, Babine, Sustut, and Kispiox Rivers, accessed from Hwy 16 and 37, are known for record steelhead (up to 37 pounds/17 kg); fish these rivers in September and October. In July, if you want company and action, fish for steelhead at Idiot Rock just downstream of Moricetown off Hwy 16 on the Bulkley River.

The waters around Lakelse Lake south of Hwy 16 near Terrace-Kitimat Airport support both trout and salmon. Fishing is also good in Onion Lake, off Hwy 37, south of Mount Layton Hot Springs. In the Kitimat area, productive spots include the Lower Dyke, Pumphouse Pool, Goose Creek, Coho Flats, Claybands, the Old Sawmill, 18 Mile Hole, and the Powerlines, all on or near the Kitimat River and easily reached from Hwy 37.

Now that you have a good sense of just how much freshwater fishing there is along this short stretch of highway, remember that this area, particularly Prince Rupert, is primarily a saltwater-fishing destination, and as such is virtually unbeatable. All the islands and inlets that protect this section of coast provide feeding grounds for fish that are easily persuaded to try nibbling on your line.

Chinook can be found just minutes from Prince Rupert's harbour. Coho and pink salmon are plentiful in August and September. If you're after something truly large, cautiously lower your line to the bottom. Ling cod weighing more than 60 pounds (27 kg) and halibut more than 250 pounds (114 kg) have been caught in these waters. Don't try to land one in a small boat! Information on popular areas, charts, and tide information can be found at any Prince Rupert tackle shop. The Prince Rupert Visitor Information Centre details on available charters.

The saltwater fishing around Kitimat also yields results, where Douglas Channel forms the end of British Columbia's longest inland fjord. May and June are good months in which to meet up with chinook salmon, while July and August are the time for coho. Halibut and cod can be caught in the channel almost year-round; several 200-pound (90-kg) halibut have been landed within 10 miles (16 km) of the dock. Charter fishing is big business in Kitimat and you'll have no trouble finding your way to the hot spots.

The Stewart-Cassiar Highway (Hwy 37)
The Swan Lake-Kispiox River Provincial Park contains a chain of undeveloped lakes and rivers just waiting for anglers in search of rainbow trout. The park is located 8.5 miles (14 km) east of Hwy 37 along a rough road that begins at Mile 68 (Km 110) north of Kitwanga and leads to a small boat launch at the north end of Brown Bear Lake. From there, visitors must paddle (no powerboats) and portage to other lakes in the park. Please keep in mind this is a remote area; come prepared for wilderness travel.

There's good whitefish, rainbow trout, and dolly varden fishing at Meziadin Lake. A boat launch is located in Meziadin Lake Provincial Park, but the best fishing is off the gravel bars at the mouths of many of the creeks that drain into the lake.

You would expect good fishing in a creek called Fish, and, indeed, you can catch some of the biggest chum salmon on the coast in Fish Creek and in the Portland Canal. Road and boat access is from Hwy 37A near Stewart. It's catch-and-release only in the creek, though; make sure you have a camera so you can prove that you caught the monster.

North of the Hwy 37A turnoff, Hwy 37 runs parallel to the Bell-Irving River, then the Ningunsaw River, then Kinaskan and Eddontenajon Lakes, then . . . well, you get the picture. There are numerous points where road and water meet, or come close to meeting, that offer many opportunities to pull off the road and break out the fishing rod.

For less spur-of-the-moment-style fishing, there are many outfitters and guides who would be more than willing to take you into some of the more remote lakes in the Spatsizi Plateau Provincial Wilderness Park and Tatlatui Provincial Park.

It was once said that every cast in the Firesteel River in Tatlatui Provincial Park would yield a catch. Unfortunately, that could only go on for so long, and recently the fishing hasn't been as good, which is to say you'll only catch a fish on every second cast. Fortunately, people are becoming more conservation minded, protecting this area for anglers in years to come.

Broad Dease Lake and curvaceous Boya Lake offer angling for char and a variety of northern specialties: burbot and whitefish; while Dease River, which flows north from Dease Lake, through Boya Lake Provincial Park and north to the Liard River, has good grayling fishing. Access is from the town of Dease Lake, from pullouts beside Hwy 37, and from Boya Lake Park's boat ramp.

Atlin Provincial Park surrounds the southern third of Atlin Lake, the largest natural lake in the province (even though part of it is in Yukon). Atlin Lake contains lake trout, grayling, and dolly varden. There are dozens of smaller lakes in the Atlin region.

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