Orchid Lake Fishing near Grande Cache, British Columbia

• Overview

  Look for Orchid Lake in Regional District of Fraser-Fort George, British Columbia. Height above sea level is 1,589 metres. Roughly 16 hectares: a morning covers one end, an afternoon the other. Shoreline comes to about 1.6 km, small enough to learn in a day. By elevation it is in the upper part of our British Columbia listings. You are 68 km from Grande Cache. After that come Valemount at 135 km and Tumbler Ridge at 145 km. The county line is nowhere near, so one local authority covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Orchid Lake

  Our records hold no depth for this water. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Fish documented in Regional District of Fraser-Fort George include Chinook salmon, sockeye salmon, mountain whitefish and rainbow trout. Some of the species recorded here are protected or tightly regulated, so check what may be targeted before you fish. On Orchid Lake the first feature you find is usually worth a session.

• Seasonal Patterns

  In an average year July sits at 10°C and January at -10°C. Four clear seasons, with a proper winter at one end. Break-up comes around mid May, and the run that follows is short and strong. The open-water window runs from around mid May to about early November in an average year. September and October fish steadily right up to the freeze. The season on Orchid Lake follows the weather closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  No public source sets out the position on this bank. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. Formal access is not mapped, so the last stretch is likely on foot. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Provincial rules still apply whatever the bank status. Where parking is tight, arriving early solves most problems. If the gate is shut, La Glace Lake at 3.2 km is the nearest alternative. Treat access at Orchid Lake as something to verify.