Bodley Lake, British Columbia: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Look for Bodley Lake in the Regional District of Bulkley-Nechako part of British Columbia. The bank is 1,058 metres above sea level. With some 70 hectares of water, there is room for a boat but no need of one. The whole outline is near 4.5 km, and most of it is walkable. The closest town, Vanderhoof, is 65 km away. Kamloops sits 405 km out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. The county line is nowhere near, so one local authority covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Bodley Lake

  Our records carry no depth, so judge it from the bank. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Species logged across Regional District of Bulkley-Nechako include sockeye salmon, Coho salmon and Chinook salmon. Protected fish appear in the records for this area, so treat the list as information, not an invitation. On Bodley Lake a short move beats a long cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages move between -11°C in January and 13°C in July. The year runs cold to warm and back, with clear transitions. Ice-out usually falls in late April, and the weeks after it fish hardest. Break-up near late April, freeze-up near mid November: that is the shape of an average year. Reckon on open water from spring through to late autumn, with May and June the strongest. The season on Bodley Lake follows the weather closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing on record says whether the bank is open or closed. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. There is no mapped parking or launch nearby, which keeps numbers down. Light line and small metal for the trout; a fly rod earns its place on calm evenings. Rules differ from one water to the next round here. Keep proof of licence with you rather than in the car. The nearest alternative is Harp Lake, 1.5 km out. Nothing on Bodley Lake should be assumed from this page alone.