Emerald Lake Fishing near Prince George, British Columbia

• Overview

  Emerald Lake belongs to Regional District of Fraser-Fort George, British Columbia. The country here is pine and birch. With some 13 hectares of water, there is room for a boat but no need of one. Roughly 2.0 km of bank means you can walk to a fresh area when one goes quiet. Prince George is the closest town at 58 km. The big place round here is Kamloops, 446 km distant. It sits well inside its county, with no border complications.

• Where to Fish on Emerald Lake

  Our records hold no depth for this water. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Records held for Regional District of Fraser-Fort George cover Chinook salmon, sockeye salmon, mountain whitefish and rainbow trout. Protected fish appear in the records for this area, so treat the list as information, not an invitation. Read Emerald Lake before you fish it and the day goes better.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warmest month averages 15°C, the coldest about -10°C. The season turns properly here, and fish follow it closely. Count on hard cover from midwinter, and open water from mid April. Break-up sits around mid April on average, with the water closing again about mid November. Right after break-up, and again as the nights sharpen, is when to go. It holds true on Emerald Lake more years than not.

• Tackle & Baits

  No access rule appears in what we hold. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. A campsite is mapped about 330 m away, which makes an early start easier. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Parking space is the usual limit rather than the bank itself. Some water is controlled locally without a sign saying so. Failing this one, try Crystal Lake, 1.6 km away. What applies at Emerald Lake may have changed since it was mapped.