Sproat Lake near Port Alberni: Fishing Spots, Seasons and Access

• Overview

  Sproat Lake is one of the Regional District of Alberni-Clayoquot listings for British Columbia. The water sits 34 metres up. At roughly 42.28 sq km it ranks among the larger waters in the region. Few waters listed in Regional District of Alberni-Clayoquot are bigger. For a base, Port Alberni sits 19 km out. Richmond sits 140 km out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. It sits well inside its county, with no border complications.

• Where to Fish on Sproat Lake

  No published figure covers depth, so learn it as you fish. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Regional District of Alberni-Clayoquot records list Chinook salmon, sockeye salmon, Chum salmon and Coho salmon among the fish reported. At least one recorded species is protected in parts of its range; read the local rules before targeting anything. Sproat Lake gives up its fish to patience rather than distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Typical August readings run about 16°C; by January the average is down near 1°C. The freeze here is occasional rather than annual. In milder years the edges alone go, and the middle never sets. November and March are the quiet, comfortable months to be out. It holds true on Sproat Lake more years than not.

• Tackle & Baits

  Who may fish here is not settled in anything we hold. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. Mapping shows a campsite some 1.4 km from the water. Picnic facilities are recorded some 1.4 km out. There is a toilet block some 1 km out. Gates get locked out of season on water like this. Some ground is open by custom rather than by right, so tread carefully. Should this one be busy, Gracie Lake is 6.5 km off. Signs at Sproat Lake carry more weight than any list.