Ear Lake in Central Coast Regional District: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Ear Lake is one of the Central Coast Regional District listings for British Columbia. The water sits 347 metres up. At some 2.51 sq km it is far too large to cover on foot in a day. You are looking at roughly 11 km of shoreline, with plenty of water between access points. Bella Coola is the closest place, 104 km off. Vancouver is the closest city, 531 km away. The nearest boundary is well away, so one set of rules covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Ear Lake

  Depth is unknown to us, and the shoreline is the better guide. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Survey and observation records for Central Coast Regional District include Chum salmon, pink salmon, Coho salmon and sockeye salmon. Several of these carry legal protection or closed seasons; the rulebook comes before the rod. Anyone new to Ear Lake should walk it once before setting up.

• Seasonal Patterns

  August runs about 12°C on average, January about -6°C. Cold winters and warm summers give a wide working range. Count on hard cover from midwinter, and open water from late April. On average, late April opens the water and mid November closes it again. Fish feed hardest at the start and the close of the open season. Plan around that when you fish Ear Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  The access position is unclear from public sources. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. There is no mapped parking or launch nearby, which keeps numbers down. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Sort the permit out before you load the car. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. Should this one be busy, Lindquist Lake is 13 km off. Confirm before you fish Ear Lake.