Ootsanee Lake, British Columbia: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Ootsanee Lake lies in Regional District of Bulkley-Nechako, in British Columbia. It lies 877 metres above sea level. At some 4.05 sq km it is far too large to cover on foot in a day. The margin runs to about 18 km in total. On our Regional District of Bulkley-Nechako list it sits near the top for size. 50 km away sits Burns Lake, the nearest town. The big place round here is Kamloops, 497 km distant. It sits well inside the county, so one set of rules covers it.

• Where to Fish on Ootsanee Lake

  Depth remains unrecorded, so treat the first session as a survey. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Reported across Regional District of Bulkley-Nechako: sockeye salmon, Coho salmon, Chinook salmon, pink salmon and Chum salmon. Protected fish appear in the records for this area, so treat the list as information, not an invitation. Fish Ootsanee Lake where the bottom changes rather than where it looks deep.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-term averages put July at about 13°C and January near -11°C. A hard winter is normal, and the thaw brings a strong few weeks. Look for the thaw near late April; the fishing lifts straight after. Ice usually gives way near late April, and forms again about mid November. June through September is the settled part of the year, with the shoulders busier for fish. That is the shape of the year on Ootsanee Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  No public source sets out the position on this bank. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. We find no slipway, car park or made path within a short radius, so treat access as rough. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Look for a notice board at the entrance. Where the way in crosses private ground, ask first. The nearest alternative is Getzuni Lake, 4.9 km out. Check the current arrangement for Ootsanee Lake.