Papoose Lake, British Columbia: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Papoose Lake stands in Regional District of Fraser-Fort George, British Columbia. Elevation runs to 858 metres. Around 23 hectares of surface means several distinct areas to work. Roughly 4.5 km of bank means you can walk to a fresh area when one goes quiet. The nearest place of any size is Prince George, 93 km away. It is 351 km to Kamloops, the nearest city. One jurisdiction covers this water end to end.

• Where to Fish on Papoose Lake

  No depth figure has reached our records, which makes a plummet useful. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Records held for Regional District of Fraser-Fort George cover Chinook salmon, sockeye salmon and mountain whitefish. Several of these carry legal protection or closed seasons; the rulebook comes before the rod. At Papoose Lake light and wind decide more than tackle does.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Between January at about -9°C and July at about 14°C, the water has a wide range to work through. Hard water is a season in its own right here. Hard cover is dependable here; it goes around mid April. Averages suggest open water from about mid April through to roughly mid November. The strong weeks are the first after break-up and the last before the freeze. That is the shape of the year on Papoose Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  We hold no note on access for this one. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. Nothing is listed nearby for parking or launching a boat. Light line and small metal for the trout; a fly rod earns its place on calm evenings. Bank access can be seasonal on ground like this. Where the way in crosses private ground, ask first. If the gate is shut, Slim Lake at 3.6 km is the nearest alternative. For Papoose Lake, the notice at the access point is the final word.