Murray Lake, British Columbia: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Out in Regional District of Bulkley-Nechako, British Columbia, sits Murray Lake. The land about it is mixed forest. It measures some 6.01 sq km, and wind has room to build across it. The shoreline runs about 22 km, so it pays to pick a stretch and stay with it. Vanderhoof at 78 km is the nearest place to stop. Kamloops sits 463 km out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. No boundary runs near, so the local rules hold throughout.

• Where to Fish on Murray Lake

  The records we hold are silent on depth, so plan to find it yourself. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Species logged across Regional District of Bulkley-Nechako include sockeye salmon, Coho salmon, Chinook salmon, pink salmon and Chum salmon. Several of these carry legal protection or closed seasons; the rulebook comes before the rod. Work Murray Lake in sections rather than trying to cover it.

• Seasonal Patterns

  On the long-term average, July reads 14°C and January reads -11°C. Expect a real winter and a strong spring after it. Count the season from break-up, usually mid April. On the long-run averages the water opens up around mid April and starts locking again about mid November. The middle of summer slows a little, with dawn and dusk carrying it. That shapes the year on Murray Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing on record says whether the bank is open or closed. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. Mapping shows an empty shoreline: no ramp, no jetty, no marked entry. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. Take the rules with you rather than trusting memory. Close seasons apply to some species and not others. If the gate is shut, Holy Cross Lake at 6.3 km is the nearest alternative. For Murray Lake, the notice at the access point is the final word.