Gem Lake near Puntledge: Fishing Spots, Seasons and Access

• Overview

  Gem Lake is one of the Comox Valley Regional District listings for British Columbia. This is farm and woodlot ground. Small at around 7 hectares: two anglers spread out cover most of it. Nearest place of any size is Puntledge, 28 km away. The big place round here is Vancouver, 173 km distant. The county line is nowhere near, so one local authority covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Gem Lake

  Depth figures are not published for this one. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Comox Valley Regional District records list Coho salmon, sockeye salmon, rainbow trout, Chum salmon and pink salmon among the fish reported. Several of these carry legal protection or closed seasons; the rulebook comes before the rod. On Gem Lake the quiet end is the one worth the extra effort.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Temperature averages peak at 12°C in August and bottom out at -2°C in December. Neither winter nor summer shuts things down for long. In a normal year the cover is thin and short-lived. February into May fishes hardest as the water warms. Gem Lake fishes to that pattern most years.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access is not recorded for this water. Mapping is blank for access, so scout the approach before committing the car. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. Bank access can be seasonal on ground like this. Rules for boats are stricter than rules for the bank in many places. For a change of water, Sunrise Lake is 2.4 km distant. Confirm access to Gem Lake locally before you travel.