Alkali Lake, British Columbia: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Alkali Lake lies in Regional District of Kitimat-Stikine, British Columbia. The bank is 375 metres above sea level. The water covers some 88 hectares, so pick a bank rather than trying to cover it all. Shoreline length is close to 6.6 km, and each section fishes a little differently. Petersburg lies 157 km from the water. The big place round here is Kamloops, 1071 km distant. It sits well inside the county, so one set of rules covers it.

• Where to Fish on Alkali Lake

  No chart reached our records; the first cast is your sounding. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Regional District of Kitimat-Stikine records list pink salmon, Chum salmon, Coho salmon and sockeye salmon among the fish reported. Several of these carry legal protection or closed seasons; the rulebook comes before the rod. On Alkali Lake a short move beats a long cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages here run 14°C at the top of summer and -11°C at the bottom of winter. Winter puts a hard lid on this one. The lid usually goes in mid April, which opens the strongest weeks of the year. Going by climate averages, expect open water from about mid April until roughly mid November. The open run goes from the thaw to the freeze, and April through October covers most of it. Anyone fishing Alkali Lake regularly works to that calendar.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether the bank is open is not something our records settle. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. No built facilities appear in mapping around this water. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Parking is often the real limit rather than the bank itself. Some ground is open by custom rather than by right, so tread carefully. Sawmill Lake at 5.2 km is the sensible second choice. Rules at Alkali Lake are worth checking on the day.