Mackinnon Lake, British Columbia: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Mackinnon Lake is listed under Regional District of Fraser-Fort George, British Columbia. It sits in rolling bush. Roughly 1.8 km of bank means you can walk to a fresh area when one goes quiet. Our Regional District of Fraser-Fort George list holds plenty of bigger water. Nearest town is Fort St. James, 61 km off. Mackenzie is 64 km away, with Vanderhoof at 95 km. The county line is nowhere near, so one local authority covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Mackinnon Lake

  There is no recorded depth, so work from what you can see. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Across Regional District of Fraser-Fort George, recorded fish include Chinook salmon, sockeye salmon and mountain whitefish. At least one recorded species is protected in parts of its range; read the local rules before targeting anything. On Mackinnon Lake the first feature you find is usually worth a session.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The seasonal spread runs -11°C to 12°C. Hard water is a season in its own right here. Look for the thaw near late April; the fishing lifts straight after. On the long-run averages the water opens up around late April and starts locking again about early November. The open run goes from the thaw to the freeze, and April through October covers most of it. On Mackinnon Lake the same rules apply, with local timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing in our records says who may fish here. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. You can camp 800 m off, which suits an early start. Mackinnon Esker Ecological Reserve covers this ground, which means extra rules to check. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. Where the road in crosses private land, ask first. Barbless rules turn up on managed water more often than not. For a change of water, TurnerLake is 0.8 km distant. Check the current arrangement for Mackinnon Lake.