Kenney Lake, British Columbia: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Kenney Lake stands in Regional District of Kitimat-Stikine, British Columbia. The surface lies 858 metres up. At some 2.44 sq km it is far too large to cover on foot in a day. The margin runs to about 7.6 km in total. Bella Coola sits 116 km from here and is the nearest stop. Then Kitimat, 119 km, and Houston, 120 km. The nearest edge is a long way off, so local rules apply throughout.

• Where to Fish on Kenney Lake

  No chart reached our records; the first cast is your sounding. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Across Regional District of Kitimat-Stikine, recorded fish include pink salmon, Chum salmon, Coho salmon and sockeye salmon. At least one recorded species is protected in parts of its range; read the local rules before targeting anything. At Kenney Lake the first feature you find is worth twenty minutes.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-run averages give August about 11°C and January about -7°C. Four clear seasons, with a proper winter at one end. After early May the shallows warm and the fish move up. Expect the water usable from around early May until roughly mid November. The middle of summer slows a little, with dawn and dusk carrying it. It sets the rhythm of the year at Kenney Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  No access rule appears in what we hold. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. We find no slipway, car park or made path within a short radius, so treat access as rough. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. A phone call first saves an afternoon. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. The nearest alternative is Lindquist Lake, 3.5 km out. Where Kenney Lake is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.