Figure Eight Lake, British Columbia: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Figure Eight Lake sits within Fraser Valley Regional District in British Columbia. The surface lies 2,007 metres up. This is a pocket water of some 4 hectares, and every part of it is reachable from the bank. It is high ground by British Columbia standards. Mount Currie lies 38 km from the water. For a city, Coquitlam is 101 km off. No boundary runs near, so the local rules hold throughout.

• Where to Fish on Figure Eight Lake

  No depth figure has reached our records, which makes a plummet useful. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Records held for Fraser Valley Regional District cover white sturgeon, sockeye salmon, Coho salmon and Chum salmon. Protected fish appear in the records for this area, so treat the list as information, not an invitation. Figure Eight Lake gives up its fish to patience rather than distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The range across the year is -8°C to 11°C. The year splits cleanly: hard water, then open water. Hard cover is dependable here; it goes around mid May. Average temperatures cross freezing around mid May in spring and again near early November in autumn. The strong weeks are the first after break-up and the last before the freeze. The season on Figure Eight Lake rarely departs from it.

• Tackle & Baits

  We have no record of the rules that apply on this bank. Mapping shows an empty shoreline: no ramp, no jetty, no marked entry. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. Take the rules with you rather than trusting memory. Keep proof of licence with you rather than in the car. Should this one be busy, Caltha Lake is 2 km off. For Figure Eight Lake, the notice at the access point is the final word.