Humphrey Lake, British Columbia: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Humphrey Lake falls in Regional District of Bulkley-Nechako, part of British Columbia. The bank is 987 metres above sea level. Roughly 1.94 sq km of surface: treat each bay as a water in its own right. Some 8.2 km of bank gives room to move when the wind turns. Smithers lies 131 km from the water. Then Telkwa, 133 km, and Houston, 148 km. The nearest boundary is well away, so one set of rules covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Humphrey Lake

  No figure exists for depth, so let the water show you. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Regional District of Bulkley-Nechako records list sockeye salmon, Coho salmon, Chinook salmon, pink salmon and Chum salmon among the fish reported. Some of the species recorded here are protected or tightly regulated, so check what may be targeted before you fish. Humphrey Lake gives up its fish to patience rather than distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-term averages put July at about 11°C and January near -14°C. A solid cap is the normal state through winter. Firm cover through the cold months, then open water from mid May. Open water usually runs from mid May until about early November. Look to early summer and the first cool weeks of autumn. Anyone fishing Humphrey Lake regularly works to that calendar.

• Tackle & Baits

  We hold no note on access for this one. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. No slipway, car park or made path shows up nearby in mapping, so treat access as rough. Light line and small metal for the trout; a fly rod earns its place on calm evenings. Check whether a boat is allowed before you tow one. Keep proof of licence with you rather than in the car. For a change of water, Tom Lake is 4.3 km distant. Nothing on Humphrey Lake should be assumed from this page alone.