Hayward Lake Fishing Guide, North Coast Regional District, British Columbia

• Overview

  Hayward Lake lies in North Coast Regional District, British Columbia. The surface lies 75 metres up. With some 59 hectares of water, there is room for a boat but no need of one. Around 5.5 km of bank, which is a long day on foot. Ground here is low by British Columbia standards. The nearest place of any size is Prince Rupert, 51 km away. The nearest city of size is Vancouver, 698 km away. It sits well inside the county, so one set of rules covers it.

• Where to Fish on Hayward Lake

  Depth is not on record here, which means reading the ground instead. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. County-wide records name Pacific cod, walleye pollock, pink salmon and Coho salmon. Some of the species recorded here are protected or tightly regulated, so check what may be targeted before you fish. Hayward Lake gives up its fish to patience rather than distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Typical August readings run about 13°C; by January the average is down near -2°C. Ice comes and goes from one year to the next. Cover comes and goes, so treat it with suspicion rather than trust. Late winter often fishes better here than midsummer does. The season on Hayward Lake follows the weather closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  No public source sets out the position on this bank. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. No made access appears within a short radius, so plan to park on a verge and walk. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. Gates get locked out of season on water like this. Where tickets apply, they are sold in the nearest town rather than on the bank. Failing this one, try Big Falls Lake, 3.4 km away. Nothing here settles the position at Hayward Lake for certain.