Iron Lake Fishing near Port McNeill, British Columbia

• Overview

  British Columbia holds Iron Lake, in Regional District of Mount Waddington. It sits 17 km in from the sea. Roughly 20 hectares: a morning covers one end, an afternoon the other. The edge runs 2.2 km or so, easy to work in an afternoon. By elevation it sits in the lower part of our British Columbia listings. Port McNeill at 26 km is the nearest place to stop. For a city, Vancouver is 319 km off. No county line comes close, which keeps the paperwork simple.

• Where to Fish on Iron Lake

  Nothing we hold settles how deep this runs. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Records held for Regional District of Mount Waddington cover Coho salmon, rainbow trout, Chinook salmon, sockeye salmon and Chum salmon. Several of these carry legal protection or closed seasons; the rulebook comes before the rod. On Iron Lake that means starting tight and working out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages move between 2°C in December and 14°C in August. A long season, with weather mattering more than the month. Some winters give nothing at all, so plan for open water. February into May fishes hardest as the water warms. Plan any trip to Iron Lake around it. Water temperature lags behind air temperature by days, not hours.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether you may fish here is not something records settle. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. Mapping is blank for access, so scout the approach before committing the car. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Read any posted signs at the access point rather than assuming. Night access is frequently treated as a separate matter. Lac Truite at 2.2 km is the sensible second choice. Check the position at Iron Lake before loading the car.