Stick Lake, British Columbia: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Set in Central Coast Regional District, British Columbia, this is Stick Lake. Country round the bank runs to mixed forest. This is sizeable water at about 1.69 sq km, and a boat opens up most of it. Around 9.4 km of bank, which is a long day on foot. Start from Bella Coola, 61 km down the road. Then Anahim Lake, 94 km, and Bella Bella, 138 km. No border sits close enough to matter.

• Where to Fish on Stick Lake

  No chart reached our records; the first cast is your sounding. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Central Coast Regional District records list Chum salmon, pink salmon and Coho salmon among the fish reported. Some of the species recorded here are protected or tightly regulated, so check what may be targeted before you fish. Treat Stick Lake as a water to read rather than to cover.

• Seasonal Patterns

  In an average year August sits at 11°C and January at -8°C. Seasons are distinct, and each one fishes differently. The lid usually sets by midwinter and gives way around early May. The open-water window runs from around early May to about mid November in an average year. Look to early summer and the first cool weeks of autumn. Stick Lake runs to that rhythm year in and year out.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public data does not answer the access question here. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. Nothing is mapped in the way of a ramp or car park within a short radius. Light line and small metal for the trout; a fly rod earns its place on calm evenings. Some banks are open only from a marked point. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. Iltasyuko Lake, 6.8 km away, makes the obvious fallback. Nothing on Stick Lake should be assumed from this page alone.