Pinkerton Lake, British Columbia: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  British Columbia holds Pinkerton Lake, in Regional District of Fraser-Fort George. The surroundings are rolling bush. It runs to roughly 23 hectares — big enough to hold fish away from the bank, small enough to learn. The full circuit measures close to 2.1 km on foot. The nearest town is Prince George, 86 km away. Quesnel is 96 km away, with Grande Cache at 161 km. No boundary runs near, so the local rules hold throughout.

• Where to Fish on Pinkerton Lake

  No depth figure appears in our records, so the bank has to tell you. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Across Regional District of Fraser-Fort George, recorded fish include Chinook salmon, sockeye salmon, mountain whitefish and rainbow trout. Protected fish appear in the records for this area, so treat the list as information, not an invitation. Anyone new to Pinkerton Lake should walk it once before setting up.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The seasonal spread runs -9°C to 13°C. Spring and autumn carry the fishing; summer and winter test it. Look for the thaw near late April; the fishing lifts straight after. Averages place the thaw at late April and the freeze at mid November. From the thaw to midsummer the fishing improves week by week. The season on Pinkerton Lake follows the weather closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  The access position is unclear from public sources. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. Access points are not mapped for this water, which suits people who like quiet. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. Some banks are open only from a marked point. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. For a change of water, Tumuch Lake is 11 km distant. Rules at Pinkerton Lake are worth checking on the day.