Dawson Lake, British Columbia: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Dawson Lake lies in Regional District of Bulkley-Nechako, in British Columbia. The surface lies 805 metres up. Surface area is around 50 hectares, which gives you real water without needing a boat. Around 3.9 km of margin, front to back. Houston sits 45 km from here and is the nearest stop. The nearest city of size is Kamloops, 570 km away. One jurisdiction covers this water end to end.

• Where to Fish on Dawson Lake

  We hold no depth figure for this one. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Reported across Regional District of Bulkley-Nechako: sockeye salmon, Coho salmon, Chinook salmon and pink salmon. At least one recorded species is protected in parts of its range; read the local rules before targeting anything. On Dawson Lake a short move beats a long cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  In an average year July sits at 12°C and January at -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. Averages suggest open water from about late April through to roughly mid November. The open run goes from the thaw to the freeze, and April through October covers most of it. It holds true on Dawson Lake more years than not.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public sources are silent on who controls the bank. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. Nothing is listed nearby for parking or launching a boat. Light line and small metal for the trout; a fly rod earns its place on calm evenings. Some banks are open only from a marked point. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. Should this one be busy, Jewell Lake is 2.6 km off. Nothing here settles the position at Dawson Lake for certain.