Michael Lake in Cowichan Valley Regional District: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  This water sits in Cowichan Valley Regional District, British Columbia. The sea is 3.1 km distant. Surface area is around 39 hectares, which gives you real water without needing a boat. About 2.8 km of bank, so nothing stays unexplored for long. By elevation it sits in the lower part of our British Columbia listings. The town to know is North Oyster/Yellow Point, 1.9 km out. Richmond is the closest city, 51 km away. Being near a boundary, it pays to know which side you are fishing.

• Where to Fish on Michael Lake

  No figure exists for depth, so let the water show you. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Cowichan Valley Regional District records list Chinook salmon, sockeye salmon, Coho salmon, Chum salmon and rainbow trout among the fish reported. Some of the species recorded here are protected or tightly regulated, so check what may be targeted before you fish. Michael Lake gives up more to patience than to distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-run averages give August about 18°C and January about 3°C. Cooler months are the productive ones on most of this water. Spring and autumn carry the fishing; summer squeezes it into the edges of the day. June to September is hot work, so the first and last hours are what count. Michael Lake runs to that rhythm year in and year out.

• Tackle & Baits

  No access rule appears in what we hold. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. No made access appears within a short radius, so plan to park on a verge and walk. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. Parking is often the real limit rather than the bank itself. Close seasons apply to some species and not others. Long Lake at 2 km is the sensible second choice. Check the position on Michael Lake before loading the car.