Richmond Lake near Burns Lake: Fishing Spots, Seasons and Access

• Overview

  Richmond Lake is one of the Regional District of Bulkley-Nechako listings for British Columbia. The bank is 708 metres above sea level. Roughly 30 hectares: a morning covers one end, an afternoon the other. There is roughly 2.9 km of shoreline here, which is a short walk end to end. Burns Lake sits 31 km from the bank. Further out sit Fort St. James (76 km) and Vanderhoof (85 km). It sits well inside the county, so one set of rules covers it.

• Where to Fish on Richmond Lake

  Depth is not on record here, which means reading the ground instead. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Reported across Regional District of Bulkley-Nechako: sockeye salmon, Coho salmon and Chinook salmon. Several of these carry legal protection or closed seasons; the rulebook comes before the rod. Fish Richmond Lake where the bottom changes rather than where it looks deep.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages move between -11°C in January and 14°C in July. Winter shuts the surface down for months. Firm cover through the cold months, then open water from mid April. Break-up near mid April, freeze-up near mid November: that is the shape of an average year. Late spring and early autumn carry the year between them. The season on Richmond Lake follows the weather closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing we hold confirms whether access is permitted. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. A campsite is mapped about 380 m away, which makes an early start easier. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Rules for this water may differ from the county norm. Night access is frequently treated as a separate matter. Martin Lake, 3 km away, makes the obvious fallback. Check the position at Richmond Lake before loading the car.