Main Lake Fishing in Strathcona Regional District, British Columbia

• Overview

  Set in Strathcona Regional District, Main Lake is a British Columbia water. The bank is 24 metres above sea level. At 3.14 sq km this is proper open water rather than a pond. The margin runs to about 12 km in total. Size puts it in the front rank of our Strathcona Regional District list. The nearest place of any size is Campbell River, 22 km away. Oyster River lies 39 km off, Courtenay another 61 km. The county line is nowhere near, so one local authority covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Main Lake

  Nothing we hold settles how deep this runs. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Strathcona Regional District records list sockeye salmon, Chum salmon, pink salmon and Coho salmon among the fish reported. At least one recorded species is protected in parts of its range; read the local rules before targeting anything. On Main Lake the obvious spot is not always the productive one.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Climate records put August near 17°C and January near 2°C. It fishes twelve months of the year. Shade and hour of day matter more than month. The hot months push the fishing to dawn and dusk. Time your trip to Main Lake by conditions rather than dates. The first warm days of the year bring fish shallow quickly.

• Tackle & Baits

  The paperwork position is blank for this one. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. No made access is recorded, so a short walk in is the likely arrangement. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. A phone call first saves an afternoon. Some water is controlled locally without a sign saying so. Should this one be busy, Clear Lake is 2.7 km off. Check the current arrangement for Main Lake.