Fickle Lake, British Columbia: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Fickle Lake is one of the Regional District of Mount Waddington waters in British Columbia. Rolling hill runs right down to the water. It runs to roughly 20 hectares — big enough to hold fish away from the bank, small enough to learn. A shoreline of some 3.0 km keeps the choices simple. The closest town, Port McNeill, is 48 km away. The big place round here is Vancouver, 274 km distant. It sits well inside the county, so one set of rules covers it.

• Where to Fish on Fickle Lake

  Depth is not on record here, which means reading the ground instead. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Species logged across Regional District of Mount Waddington include Coho salmon, rainbow trout and Chinook salmon. At least one recorded species is protected in parts of its range; read the local rules before targeting anything. Take Fickle Lake a stretch at a time.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-run averages give August about 13°C and December about 1°C. Some winters cap it and some do not. Some winters give nothing at all, so plan for open water. Late winter often fishes better here than midsummer does. Anyone fishing Fickle Lake regularly works to that calendar. Spring fish sit shallower than most people expect.

• Tackle & Baits

  We have no record of the rules that apply on this bank. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. The map shows no ramp or car park nearby, so this is a walk-in water. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Where a permit is needed, the nearest town usually sells it. Keep proof of licence with you rather than in the car. Claud Elliott Lake, 2.8 km away, makes the obvious fallback. What applies at Fickle Lake may have changed since it was mapped.