Second Lake near Vanderhoof: Fishing Spots, Seasons and Access

• Overview

  You will find Second Lake in Regional District of Bulkley-Nechako, British Columbia. It sits at 797 metres above sea level. Roughly 43 hectares: a morning covers one end, an afternoon the other. The full circuit measures close to 3.9 km on foot. You are 32 km from Vanderhoof. Then Fort St. James, 49 km, and Prince George, 67 km. Rules here are straightforward: one set of provincial rules.

• Where to Fish on Second Lake

  Our records carry no depth, so judge it from the bank. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. County-wide records name sockeye salmon, Coho salmon and Chinook salmon. Several of these carry legal protection or closed seasons; the rulebook comes before the rod. At Second Lake the water rewards a slow, careful approach.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July runs about 15°C on average, January about -11°C. Cold locks it up for a good stretch each year. Firm cover through the cold months, then open water from mid April. Climate averages put the opening at about mid April and the closing near mid November. Spring is short and heavy here; autumn is longer and steadier. Second Lake runs to its own calendar within the local pattern.

• Tackle & Baits

  There is no clear statement anywhere on who can fish it. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. There is no mapped parking or launch nearby, which keeps numbers down. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Some banks are open only from a marked point. Some ground is open by custom rather than by right, so tread carefully. Should this one be busy, St. Mary Lake is 1.9 km off. Nothing here settles the position at Second Lake for certain.