Deserter Lake, British Columbia: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  British Columbia holds Deserter Lake, in Regional District of Bulkley-Nechako. Country round the bank runs to lake country bush. It measures about 61 hectares, which is a comfortable size for bank fishing. Shoreline length is close to 5.0 km, and each section fishes a little differently. Burns Lake is the closest town at 58 km. The nearest city of size is Kamloops, 492 km away. The nearest edge is a long way off, so local rules apply throughout.

• Where to Fish on Deserter Lake

  Depth went unrecorded, which puts the reading back on you. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Public occurrence data for Regional District of Bulkley-Nechako names sockeye salmon, Coho salmon and Chinook salmon. Several of these carry legal protection or closed seasons; the rulebook comes before the rod. Deserter Lake gives up its fish to patience rather than distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages here run 14°C at the top of summer and -11°C at the bottom of winter. Seasons are distinct, and each one fishes differently. Ice fishing carries the winter, and the water opens about mid April. The season between ice runs from about mid April to mid November. The strongest runs come at either end of the open season. Deserter Lake runs to its own calendar within the local pattern.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public sources are silent on who controls the bank. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. Mapping shows an empty shoreline: no ramp, no jetty, no marked entry. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Check whether a boat is allowed before you tow one. Where tickets apply, they are sold in the nearest town rather than on the bank. If the gate is shut, Alf Lake at 2.2 km is the nearest alternative. Treat access at Deserter Lake as something to verify.