McAlpin Lake, British Columbia: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  McAlpin Lake sits in Regional District of Kitimat-Stikine, out in British Columbia. It stands 71 metres above sea level. The bank runs about 3.3 km all the way round, so one visit can cover most of it. By elevation it sits in the lower part of our British Columbia listings. Bella Bella at 81 km is the nearest place to stop. Further out sit Bella Coola (112 km) and Kitimat (133 km). This one is safely inside the county line.

• Where to Fish on McAlpin Lake

  Our records carry no depth, so judge it from the bank. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Open biodiversity records for Regional District of Kitimat-Stikine list pink salmon, Chum salmon, Coho salmon and sockeye salmon. Protected fish appear in the records for this area, so treat the list as information, not an invitation. At McAlpin Lake the first feature you find is worth twenty minutes.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-run averages give August about 13°C and January about -1°C. Some winters cap it and some do not. Cover comes and goes, so treat it with suspicion rather than trust. March through May is the strongest run, with October and November a second stretch. Anyone fishing McAlpin Lake regularly works to that calendar.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether you may fish here is not something records settle. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. Nothing built is recorded close to the bank here. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Take the rules with you rather than trusting memory. Where parking is tight, arriving early solves most problems. Failing this one, try Lizette Lake, 4.1 km away. Nothing here settles the position at McAlpin Lake for certain.