Colonel Johnston Lake Fishing near Prince Rupert, British Columbia

• Overview

  Colonel Johnston Lake is a North Coast Regional District water, British Columbia side. This is farm and woodlot ground. It runs to roughly 61 hectares — big enough to hold fish away from the bank, small enough to learn. Around 3.2 km of margin, front to back. For a base, Prince Rupert sits 16 km out. Further out sit Kitimat (101 km) and Terrace (108 km). The county line is nowhere near, so one local authority covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Colonel Johnston Lake

  Nothing we hold settles how deep this runs. 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 North Coast Regional District: Pacific cod, walleye pollock, pink salmon and Coho salmon. At least one recorded species is protected in parts of its range; read the local rules before targeting anything. On Colonel Johnston Lake the quiet end is the one worth the extra effort.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect August to average close to 14°C, with January the cold end at about 0°C. Most months fish reasonably, given the right weather. In milder years the edges alone go, and the middle never sets. April and May are the settled weeks, with October close behind. Colonel Johnston Lake fishes to that pattern most years.

• Tackle & Baits

  The rules here are undocumented as far as public sources go. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. There is no mapped parking or launch close by, which usually means walking in. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Look for a notice board at the entrance. Where the way in crosses private ground, ask first. For a change of water, Diana Lake is 2.2 km distant. Treat access at Colonel Johnston Lake as something to verify.