Fishing Gilson Lake in Strathcona Regional District, British Columbia

• Overview

  Gilson Lake lies within the bounds of Strathcona Regional District, British Columbia. The sea is 13 km distant. Roughly 12 hectares: a morning covers one end, an afternoon the other. With about 1.5 km of edge, you can try several depths in one session. Head to Campbell River, 14 km away, for anything you forgot. Vancouver is the closest city, 179 km away. It sits well inside the county, so one set of rules covers it.

• Where to Fish on Gilson Lake

  Without a survey to go on, judge depth from how the bank falls away. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Across Strathcona Regional District, recorded fish include sockeye salmon, Chum salmon, pink salmon, Coho salmon and Chinook salmon. Protected fish appear in the records for this area, so treat the list as information, not an invitation. At Gilson Lake the water rewards a slow, careful approach.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages move between 2°C in January and 17°C in August. Temperature moves within a narrow band, and so does the fishing. It should never be assumed safe, whatever the month says. April and May are the settled weeks, with October close behind. The season on Gilson Lake rarely departs from it.

• Tackle & Baits

  There is no clear statement anywhere on who can fish it. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. A made slipway is 880 m from here, which settles the boat question. You can camp 1 km off, which suits an early start. 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. Quinsam Lake, 1.4 km away, makes the obvious fallback. Treat access at Gilson Lake as something to verify.