St. Mary Lake Fishing in Capital Regional District, British Columbia

• Overview

  St. Mary Lake belongs to Capital Regional District, British Columbia. The ground round it is rolling hill. At some 1.78 sq km it is far too large to cover on foot in a day. The perimeter runs near 7.7 km, so plan the walk before you start. On our Capital Regional District list it sits near the top for size. The nearest place of any size is Ganges, 5.3 km away. It is 40 km to Saanich, the nearest city. The boundary is close enough to be worth checking before you fish.

• Where to Fish on St. Mary Lake

  There is no recorded depth, so work from what you can see. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. County-wide records name Chinook salmon, Coho salmon and Chum salmon. Several of these carry legal protection or closed seasons; the rulebook comes before the rod. Work St. Mary Lake in sections rather than trying to cover it.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Between January at about 4°C and August at about 17°C, the water has a wide range to work through. Some winters cap it and some do not. In a normal year the cover is thin and short-lived. The hot months push the fishing to dawn and dusk. St. Mary Lake runs to its own calendar within the local pattern.

• Tackle & Baits

  No public source sets out the position on this bank. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. You can launch: the ramp is 660 m away. Expect a 960 m walk in from where the car goes. A platform or pier sits within 560 m. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. Some banks are open only from a marked point. Close seasons apply to some species and not others. Bullocks Lake at 3.2 km is the sensible second choice. Nothing here settles the position at St. Mary Lake for certain.