Innes Lake, British Columbia: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Innes Lake sits within Regional District of Bulkley-Nechako in British Columbia. It lies 883 metres above sea level. The water covers some 50 hectares, so pick a bank rather than trying to cover it all. About 4.5 km of bank, so nothing stays unexplored for long. Burns Lake sits 45 km from the bank. Beyond it, Houston at 85 km and Vanderhoof at 120 km. It sits well inside its county, with no border complications.

• Where to Fish on Innes Lake

  Depth is unknown to us, and the shoreline is the better guide. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Survey and observation records for 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. At Innes Lake the water rewards a slow, careful approach.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Temperature averages peak at 14°C in July and bottom out at -11°C in January. Winter closes the water for a while, and the reopening is worth catching. Count the season from break-up, usually mid April. The lid tends to go about mid April and return around mid November. The open run goes from the thaw to the freeze, and April through October covers most of it. The season on Innes Lake rarely departs from it.

• Tackle & Baits

  Ownership and access are not documented in what we hold. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. Mapping shows an empty shoreline: no ramp, no jetty, no marked entry. 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. Rules for boats are stricter than rules for the bank in many places. Should this one be busy, Robertson Lake is 3 km off. Treat access at Innes Lake as something to verify.