Gunanoot Lake, British Columbia: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Gunanoot Lake falls in Regional District of Bulkley-Nechako, part of British Columbia. The ground round it is lake country bush. At some 2.65 sq km it is far too large to cover on foot in a day. At about 16 km of edge, most people work one arm at a time. Few waters listed in Regional District of Bulkley-Nechako are bigger. Some 104 km away sits Smithers, the nearest settlement. For a city, Kamloops is 721 km off. The nearest edge is a long way off, so local rules apply throughout.

• Where to Fish on Gunanoot Lake

  We hold no survey for this water; read the slope of the shoreline instead. 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. Fish documented in Regional District of Bulkley-Nechako include sockeye salmon, Coho salmon, Chinook salmon and pink salmon. Several of these carry legal protection or closed seasons; the rulebook comes before the rod. Gunanoot Lake repays a walk before the first cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Temperature averages peak at 12°C in July and bottom out at -11°C in January. A full turn of seasons, with the strongest sport on either side of summer. Break-up comes around late April, and the run that follows is short and strong. The season between ice runs from about late April to early November. The first weeks of open water and the last are the ones to plan for. It holds true on Gunanoot Lake more years than not.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing on record says whether the bank is open or closed. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. No launch point is recorded nearby, so this is a bank water unless you carry a boat in. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Check locally before you travel, because a wasted drive is a long one. Close seasons apply to some species and not others. Should this one be busy, Hanawald Lake is 5.9 km off. Ask locally about Gunanoot Lake if anything is unclear.