Matsiu Lake, British Columbia: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  The Regional District of Mount Waddington end of British Columbia holds Matsiu Lake. The coast is 7.2 km away. At about 74 hectares, a day is enough to walk the shoreline properly. Roughly 4.6 km of bank means you can walk to a fresh area when one goes quiet. The nearest place of any size is Port McNeill, 95 km away. Campbell River follows at 98 km, then Oyster River at 116 km. The county line is nowhere near, so one local authority covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Matsiu Lake

  Without a survey to go on, judge depth from how the bank falls away. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Records held for Regional District of Mount Waddington cover Coho salmon, rainbow trout, Chinook salmon, sockeye salmon and Chum salmon. Protected fish appear in the records for this area, so treat the list as information, not an invitation. Take Matsiu Lake a stretch at a time.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Typical August readings run about 13°C; by December the average is down near -2°C. Whether it freezes depends on the year. In a normal year the cover is thin and short-lived. March through May is the strongest run, with October and November a second stretch. Matsiu Lake fishes to that pattern most years.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether the bank is open is not something our records settle. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. Check locally before you travel, because a wasted drive is a long one. Where tickets apply, they are sold in the nearest town rather than on the bank. Kakweiken Lake sits 14 km off and takes the overflow. Treat Matsiu Lake as unsettled until someone local tells you otherwise.