Bedwell Lake, British Columbia: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Bedwell Lake is set in Regional District of Alberni-Clayoquot, British Columbia. Elevation runs to 923 metres. At about 72 hectares, a day is enough to walk the shoreline properly. The whole outline is near 3.8 km, and most of it is walkable. On our Regional District of Alberni-Clayoquot list it sits near the top for size. For supplies, Cumberland is 43 km out. Vancouver sits 181 km out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. The nearest boundary is well away, so one set of rules covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Bedwell Lake

  Depth is not on record here, so the bank has to tell you. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Fish documented in Regional District of Alberni-Clayoquot include Chinook salmon, sockeye salmon, Chum salmon and Coho salmon. Several of these carry legal protection or closed seasons; the rulebook comes before the rod. Fish Bedwell Lake to its features, not to its size.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The year swings from about 0°C in December to roughly 13°C in August. Ice comes and goes from one year to the next. In milder years the edges alone go, and the middle never sets. March through May is the strongest run, with October and November a second stretch. Bedwell Lake fishes to that pattern most years.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access status is simply unknown for this water. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. Overnight stays are possible about 560 m out, where camping is mapped. Light line and small metal for the trout; a fly rod earns its place on calm evenings. Take the rules with you rather than trusting memory. Check whether bait restrictions apply before you buy any. Should this one be busy, Jim Mitchell Lake is 3 km off. Nothing here settles the position at Bedwell Lake for certain.