Crater Lake Fishing Guide, Stikine Region, British Columbia

• Overview

  Look for Crater Lake in Stikine Region, British Columbia. The water sits 972 metres up. The water covers around 1.45 sq km, which puts most of it out of reach from the bank. Some 13 km of bank gives room to move when the wind turns. The nearest place of any size is Skagway, 28 km away. Further out sit Haines (54 km) and Whitehorse (112 km). The county line is nowhere near, so one local authority covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Crater Lake

  Depth is unmeasured here, so let the shoreline guide you. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Reported across Stikine Region: Chinook salmon, sockeye salmon, Coho salmon and mountain whitefish. At least one recorded species is protected in parts of its range; read the local rules before targeting anything. Work Crater Lake in sections rather than trying to cover it.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-term averages put July at about 9°C and January near -14°C. Winter puts a hard lid on this one. Ice is part of the season here, ending near late May. On the long-run averages the water opens up around late May and starts locking again about late October. September and October fish steadily right up to the freeze. The season on Crater Lake follows the weather closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  We hold no note on access for this one. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. Public mapping records no formal access here, so plan for a walk and soft ground. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Gates get locked out of season on water like this. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. Bryant Lake, 6 km away, makes the obvious fallback. For Crater Lake in particular, ask before you travel.