Calliou Lake in Peace River Regional District: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Calliou Lake sits in Peace River Regional District, out in British Columbia. Everything around it is mixed forest. Roughly 17 hectares: a morning covers one end, an afternoon the other. Around 2.3 km of margin, front to back. Most waters listed here for Peace River Regional District are larger. For supplies, Tumbler Ridge is 50 km out. Kamloops is the closest city, 459 km away. It sits well inside its county, with no border complications.

• Where to Fish on Calliou Lake

  No published figure covers depth, so learn it as you fish. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Fish documented in Peace River Regional District include mountain whitefish, longnose sucker and largescale sucker. Several of these carry legal protection or closed seasons; the rulebook comes before the rod. Take Calliou Lake a stretch at a time.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July runs about 13°C on average, January about -9°C. A full turn of seasons, with the strongest sport on either side of summer. Ice fishing carries the winter, and the water opens about late April. In an average year the thaw lands around late April and the freeze near early November. Reckon on open water from spring through to late autumn, with May and June the strongest. Keep it in mind when planning a trip to Calliou Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access status is simply unknown for this water. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. Access is unmapped, which usually means a farm track and a walk. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Where access is informal, keep it that way by behaving. Some water is controlled locally without a sign saying so. Iris Lake sits 1.2 km off and takes the overflow. None of that is settled for Calliou Lake in what we hold.