Bentzi Lake, British Columbia: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Bentzi Lake lies in Regional District of Bulkley-Nechako, in British Columbia. The ground round it is mixed forest. At some 1.78 sq km it is far too large to cover on foot in a day. Some 8.8 km of bank gives room to move when the wind turns. Nearest place of any size is Vanderhoof, 62 km away. Burns Lake lies 77 km off, Fort St. James another 86 km. The nearest boundary is well away, so one set of rules covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Bentzi Lake

  Our records hold no depth for this water. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Regional District of Bulkley-Nechako records list sockeye salmon, Coho salmon, Chinook salmon, pink salmon and Chum salmon among the fish reported. Protected fish appear in the records for this area, so treat the list as information, not an invitation. Read Bentzi Lake before you fish it and the day goes better.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages move between -11°C in January and 14°C in July. The middle months are generous; the ends are demanding. Count on hard cover from midwinter, and open water from late April. Expect the water usable from around late April until roughly mid November. The strongest runs come at either end of the open season. It sets the rhythm of the year at Bentzi Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access status is simply unknown for this water. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. No slipway, car park or made path shows up nearby in mapping, so treat access as rough. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Some banks are open only from a marked point. A polite question at the farm gate opens more banks than anything else. Rognaas Lake at 2.4 km is the sensible second choice. Nothing on Bentzi Lake should be assumed from this page alone.