Anvil Lake in Regional District of Kitimat-Stikine: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Anvil Lake is a Regional District of Kitimat-Stikine water, in British Columbia. What surrounds it is spruce and muskeg. Surface area is around 53 hectares, which gives you real water without needing a boat. A shoreline of some 3.4 km keeps the choices simple. The town to know is Watson Lake, 141 km out. Kamloops is the closest city, 1104 km away. No county line comes close, which keeps the paperwork simple.

• Where to Fish on Anvil Lake

  No figure exists for depth, so let the water show you. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Records held for Regional District of Kitimat-Stikine cover pink salmon, Chum salmon, Coho salmon and sockeye salmon. Several of these carry legal protection or closed seasons; the rulebook comes before the rod. On Anvil Lake the obvious spot is not always the productive one.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The seasonal spread runs -15°C to 12°C. This far north the hard season runs and runs. Break-up comes around mid May, and the run that follows is short and strong. Ice usually gives way near mid May, and forms again about late October. Reckon on open water from spring through to late autumn, with May and June the strongest. On Anvil Lake the same rules apply, with local timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing on record says whether the bank is open or closed. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. No made access appears within a short radius, so plan to park on a verge and walk. Light line and small metal for the trout; a fly rod earns its place on calm evenings. Where the road in crosses private land, ask first. Night access is frequently treated as a separate matter. Joe Irwin Lake at 2.1 km is the sensible second choice. Confirm before you fish Anvil Lake.