Government Lake, British Columbia: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Out in Regional District of Fraser-Fort George, British Columbia, sits Government Lake. It lies 934 metres above sea level. The water covers some 28 hectares, so pick a bank rather than trying to cover it all. A shoreline of some 2.6 km keeps the choices simple. Nearest town is Prince George, 43 km off. Then Quesnel, 65 km, and Vanderhoof, 112 km. It sits well inside the county, so one set of rules covers it.

• Where to Fish on Government Lake

  There is no recorded depth, so work from what you can see. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. Records held for Regional District of Fraser-Fort George cover Chinook salmon, sockeye salmon, mountain whitefish and rainbow trout. Several of these carry legal protection or closed seasons; the rulebook comes before the rod. On Government Lake the obvious spot is not always the productive one.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July runs about 14°C on average, January about -9°C. Cold locks it up for a good stretch each year. Winter fishing happens on the ice here, with open water back around late April. The lid tends to go about late April and return around mid November. Look to early summer and the first cool weeks of autumn. At Government Lake the season follows that pattern closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether the bank is open is not something our records settle. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. There is a campsite 320 m from the water. Light line and small metal for the trout; a fly rod earns its place on calm evenings. Bank access can be seasonal on ground like this. Where the way in crosses private ground, ask first. For a change of water, Trapping Lake is 6.9 km distant. None of that is settled for Government Lake in what we hold.