Fishing Lawson Lake in Stikine Region, British Columbia

• Overview

  Lawson Lake falls in Stikine Region, part of British Columbia. The surface lies 1,033 metres up. With some 82 hectares of water, there is room for a boat but no need of one. With 5.4 km or so of shoreline, boat anglers cover ground the bank cannot. The closest town, Skagway, is 38 km away. The big place round here is Anchorage, 843 km distant. There is no boundary nearby to worry about.

• Where to Fish on Lawson Lake

  Depth is not on record here, which means reading the ground instead. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Survey and observation records for Stikine Region include Chinook salmon, sockeye salmon, Coho salmon, mountain whitefish and Arctic grayling. At least one recorded species is protected in parts of its range; read the local rules before targeting anything. On Lawson Lake the quiet end is the one worth the extra effort.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The year swings from about -16°C in January to roughly 11°C in July. The freeze holds for the better part of the year. Break-up comes around mid May, and the run that follows is short and strong. Climate averages put the opening at about mid May and the closing near early November. The open run goes from the thaw to the freeze, and April through October covers most of it. Anyone fishing Lawson Lake regularly works to that calendar.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public sources are silent on who controls the bank. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. The map shows no ramp or car park nearby, so this is a walk-in water. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Bank access can be seasonal on ground like this. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. Should this one be busy, Maud Lake is 10 km off. Check the position on Lawson Lake before loading the car.