Simmons Lake in Strathcona Regional District: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  You will find Simmons Lake in Strathcona Regional District, British Columbia. The ground around here is open valley. At 1.27 sq km this is proper open water rather than a pond. The perimeter runs near 7.7 km, so plan the walk before you start. Size puts it in the front rank of our Strathcona Regional District list. Supplies mean a trip to Campbell River, 44 km off. Vancouver sits 210 km out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. This one is safely inside the county line.

• Where to Fish on Simmons Lake

  Our records hold no depth for this water. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Strathcona Regional District records list sockeye salmon, Chum salmon, pink salmon, Coho salmon and Chinook salmon among the fish reported. Several of these carry legal protection or closed seasons; the rulebook comes before the rod. On Simmons Lake the quiet end is the one worth the extra effort.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warmest month averages 16°C, the coldest about 2°C. A lid forms in a hard winter only. In a normal year the cover is thin and short-lived. March through May is the strongest run, with October and November a second stretch. That shapes the year on Simmons Lake. Water colour tells you more than the air temperature does.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing in our records says who may fish here. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. Mapping records no facilities at all near this water. Light line and small metal for the trout; a fly rod earns its place on calm evenings. Sort the permit out before you load the car. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. Jap Lake sits 1.4 km off and takes the overflow. Signs at Simmons Lake carry more weight than any list.