Cliff Lake Fishing Guide, Stikine Region, British Columbia

• Overview

  Set in Stikine Region, Cliff Lake is a British Columbia water. Elevation runs to 708 metres. With some 12 hectares of water, there is room for a boat but no need of one. Roughly 1.9 km of bank means you can walk to a fresh area when one goes quiet. Most waters listed here for Stikine Region are larger. Skagway sits 93 km from the bank. Further out sit Haines (111 km) and Whitehorse (127 km). It sits well inside the county, so one set of rules covers it.

• Where to Fish on Cliff Lake

  Depth is unknown to us, and the shoreline is the better guide. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Fish documented in Stikine Region include Chinook salmon, sockeye salmon, Coho salmon and mountain whitefish. Some of the species recorded here are protected or tightly regulated, so check what may be targeted before you fish. On Cliff Lake the first feature you find is usually worth a session.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Climate normals give 12°C for July and -15°C for January. The fishing year opens late and shuts early. Hard water holds through the cold months, breaking up near early May. Ice usually gives way near early May, and forms again about early November. The middle of summer slows a little, with dawn and dusk carrying it. At Cliff Lake the season follows that pattern closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  We have no record of the rules that apply on this bank. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. Access is unmapped, which usually means a farm track and a walk. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. Where access is informal, keep it that way by behaving. Check whether bait restrictions apply before you buy any. Failing this one, try Grayling Lake, 1.4 km away. For Cliff Lake, the notice at the access point is the final word.