Smith Lake Fishing near Burns Lake, British Columbia

• Overview

  Smith Lake falls in Regional District of Bulkley-Nechako, part of British Columbia. The setting is mixed forest on every side. With some 56 hectares of water, there is room for a boat but no need of one. Bank access stretches around 5.0 km in total. Supplies mean a trip to Burns Lake, 71 km off. The nearest city of size is Kamloops, 477 km away. One jurisdiction covers this water end to end.

• Where to Fish on Smith Lake

  Depth remains unrecorded, so treat the first session as a survey. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Reported across Regional District of Bulkley-Nechako: sockeye salmon, Coho salmon, Chinook salmon and pink salmon. Protected fish appear in the records for this area, so treat the list as information, not an invitation. On Smith Lake the obvious spot is not always the productive one.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Between January at about -10°C and July at about 12°C, the water has a wide range to work through. Winter closes the water for a while, and the reopening is worth catching. Ice-out usually falls in late April, and the weeks after it fish hardest. The season between ice runs from about late April to mid November. The middle of summer slows a little, with dawn and dusk carrying it. At Smith Lake the season follows that pattern closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether you may fish here is not something records settle. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. No launch point is recorded nearby, so this is a bank water unless you carry a boat in. Light line and small metal for the trout; a fly rod earns its place on calm evenings. Where the road in crosses private land, ask first. Signs go up and come down, so check on the day. Mackenzie Lake sits 2.9 km off and takes the overflow. Nothing on Smith Lake should be assumed from this page alone.