Jardine Lake, British Columbia: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  This water sits in Regional District of Bulkley-Nechako, British Columbia. The bank is 1,023 metres above sea level. The water covers some 13 hectares, so pick a bank rather than trying to cover it all. The full circuit measures close to 1.4 km on foot. It is a small entry by Regional District of Bulkley-Nechako standards. The closest town, Vanderhoof, is 58 km distant. The big place round here is Kamloops, 424 km distant. It sits well inside its county, with no border complications.

• Where to Fish on Jardine Lake

  Depth remains unrecorded, so treat the first session as a survey. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Public occurrence data for Regional District of Bulkley-Nechako names sockeye salmon, Coho salmon, Chinook salmon, pink salmon and Chum salmon. Protected fish appear in the records for this area, so treat the list as information, not an invitation. Read Jardine Lake for ten minutes before the first cast goes out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Temperature averages peak at 13°C in July and bottom out at -12°C in January. A hard winter is normal, and the thaw brings a strong few weeks. Ice-out usually falls in late April, and the weeks after it fish hardest. On average, late April opens the water and mid November closes it again. Reckon on open water from spring through to late autumn, with May and June the strongest. Jardine Lake runs to that rhythm year in and year out.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing in our records says who may fish here. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. Public mapping records no formal access here, so plan for a walk and soft ground. Light line and small metal for the trout; a fly rod earns its place on calm evenings. Check locally before you travel, because a wasted drive is a long one. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. Should this one be busy, Ray Lake is 0.7 km off. For Jardine Lake in particular, ask before you travel.