Bonnington Lake, British Columbia: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  You will find Bonnington Lake in Regional District of Fraser-Fort George, British Columbia. What surrounds it is mixed forest. It runs to roughly 59 hectares — big enough to hold fish away from the bank, small enough to learn. The edge runs 4.3 km or so, easy to work in an afternoon. The closest town, Mackenzie, is 49 km away. After that come Fort St. James at 82 km and Vanderhoof at 110 km. The nearest boundary is a fair way off.

• Where to Fish on Bonnington Lake

  There is no published depth for this one, so start shallow and work out. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Species logged across Regional District of Fraser-Fort George include Chinook salmon, sockeye salmon, mountain whitefish and rainbow trout. Several of these carry legal protection or closed seasons; the rulebook comes before the rod. The shape of Bonnington Lake decides where the fish sit.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Climate normals give 14°C for July and -11°C for January. Four clear seasons, with a proper winter at one end. The lid usually goes in late April, which opens the strongest weeks of the year. From about late April to around mid November, expect open water on the long-run figures. Early summer and early autumn carry the open-water season. Bonnington Lake fishes to that pattern most years.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether you may fish here is not something records settle. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. Public data shows nothing built here, so treat the whole approach as informal. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Gates get locked out of season on water like this. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. If the gate is shut, Windy Lake at 1.2 km is the nearest alternative. What applies at Bonnington Lake may have changed since it was mapped.