Bonanza Lake near Port McNeill: Fishing Spots, Seasons and Access

• Overview

  Bonanza Lake stands in Regional District of Mount Waddington, British Columbia. Mixed woodland runs right down to the water. It measures some 9.07 sq km, and wind has room to build across it. The perimeter runs near 20 km, so plan the walk before you start. It ranks high for size among our Regional District of Mount Waddington listings. The closest town, Port McNeill, is 33 km away. Port Hardy follows at 64 km, then Gold River at 84 km. It sits well inside the county, so one set of rules covers it.

• Where to Fish on Bonanza Lake

  Depth here is unknown, so count the lead down before committing. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Records held for Regional District of Mount Waddington cover Coho salmon, rainbow trout and Chinook salmon. Several of these carry legal protection or closed seasons; the rulebook comes before the rod. Work Bonanza Lake in sections rather than trying to cover it.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warm month here averages 13°C; the cold one sits at 1°C. The year gives four workable seasons without severe ends. In a normal year the cover is thin and short-lived. April and May are the settled weeks, with October close behind. On Bonanza Lake that shapes the whole year. The week either side of a change of season often fishes hardest.

• Tackle & Baits

  Who may fish here is not settled in anything we hold. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. No launch point is recorded nearby, so this is a bank water unless you carry a boat in. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. Season dates differ by species, so read the table. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. Steele Lake, 8 km away, makes the obvious fallback. Nothing on Bonanza Lake should be assumed from this page alone.