Canyon Lake, British Columbia: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Canyon Lake is a Regional District of Mount Waddington water, British Columbia side. It sits at 307 metres above sea level. It measures about 40 hectares, which is a comfortable size for bank fishing. The full circuit measures close to 4.7 km on foot. Head to Port McNeill, 128 km away, for anything you forgot. Vancouver sits 291 km out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. It sits well inside its county, with no border complications.

• Where to Fish on Canyon Lake

  The records we hold are silent on depth, so plan to find it yourself. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Reported across Regional District of Mount Waddington: Coho salmon, rainbow trout, Chinook salmon, sockeye salmon and Chum salmon. At least one recorded species is protected in parts of its range; read the local rules before targeting anything. Fish Canyon Lake where the bottom changes rather than where it looks deep.

• Seasonal Patterns

  In an average year August sits at 13°C and January at -4°C. Spring and autumn are the strongest, but nothing is truly closed. In a normal year the cover is thin and short-lived. February into May fishes hardest as the water warms. On Canyon Lake the same rules apply, with local timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing in our records says who may fish here. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. Nothing is mapped in the way of a ramp or car park within a short radius. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. Check whether a boat is allowed before you tow one. Night access is frequently treated as a separate matter. Diamond Lake, 3.3 km away, makes the obvious fallback. Signs at Canyon Lake carry more weight than any list.