Nanika Lake, British Columbia: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Nanika Lake is one of the Regional District of Kitimat-Stikine listings for British Columbia. The ground around here is pine and birch. Around 29.52 sq km of open water: conditions change from one end to the other. At about 68 km of edge, most people fish a single area and learn it well. For a base, Kitimat sits 72 km out. Further out sit Houston (94 km) and Terrace (102 km). The nearest edge is a long way off, so local rules apply throughout.

• Where to Fish on Nanika Lake

  Depth went unrecorded, which puts the reading back on you. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Across Regional District of Kitimat-Stikine, recorded fish include pink salmon, Chum salmon, Coho salmon and sockeye salmon. Some of the species recorded here are protected or tightly regulated, so check what may be targeted before you fish. At Nanika Lake light and wind decide more than tackle does.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warm month here averages 11°C; the cold one sits at -8°C. Spring and autumn carry the fishing; summer and winter test it. The freeze runs deep into the year, with break-up near early May. Averages suggest open water from about early May through to roughly mid November. The weeks after the thaw and the ones before the freeze are the strongest. Keep it in mind when planning a trip to Nanika Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  We have no record of the rules that apply on this bank. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. No built facilities appear in mapping around this water. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. A landowner's word beats anything printed elsewhere. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. Should this one be busy, Siffleur Lake is 20 km off. Treat access at Nanika Lake as something to verify.