Boot Lake Fishing near Prince George, British Columbia

• Overview

  Regional District of Fraser-Fort George in British Columbia is where Boot Lake sits. Height above sea level is 756 metres. At about 16 hectares, a day is enough to walk the shoreline properly. The edge runs 1.7 km or so, easy to work in an afternoon. Nearest place of any size is Prince George, 44 km away. Kamloops sits 438 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 Boot Lake

  No chart reached our records; the first cast is your sounding. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. Reported across Regional District of Fraser-Fort George: Chinook salmon, sockeye salmon, mountain whitefish and rainbow trout. Several of these carry legal protection or closed seasons; the rulebook comes before the rod. Read Boot Lake before you fish it and the day goes better.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages move between -10°C in January and 15°C in July. A hard winter is normal, and the thaw brings a strong few weeks. The lid usually goes in mid April, which opens the strongest weeks of the year. Climate figures give an open season running mid April to mid November. Right after break-up, and again as the nights sharpen, is when to go. The season on Boot Lake follows the weather closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether the bank is open is not something our records settle. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. 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. Look for a notice board at the entrance. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. Enquist Lake sits 1 km off and takes the overflow. What applies at Boot Lake may have changed since it was mapped.