Tom Allin Lake, British Columbia: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  In British Columbia, Tom Allin Lake belongs to Regional District of Bulkley-Nechako. The bank is 807 metres above sea level. With some 20 hectares of water, there is room for a boat but no need of one. The edge runs 2.1 km or so, easy to work in an afternoon. It is a small entry by Regional District of Bulkley-Nechako standards. Burns Lake sits 37 km from the bank. Beyond it, Houston at 49 km and Telkwa at 90 km. It sits well inside the county, so one set of rules covers it.

• Where to Fish on Tom Allin Lake

  Depth is unknown to us, and the shoreline is the better guide. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Open biodiversity records for Regional District of Bulkley-Nechako list sockeye salmon, Coho salmon, Chinook salmon and pink salmon. Some of the species recorded here are protected or tightly regulated, so check what may be targeted before you fish. Tom Allin Lake responds to conditions more than to tactics.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-term averages put July at about 13°C and January near -10°C. Winter closes the water for a while, and the reopening is worth catching. Count the season from break-up, usually mid April. Averages place the thaw at mid April and the freeze at mid November. The open run goes from the thaw to the freeze, and April through October covers most of it. Plan any trip to Tom Allin Lake around it.

• Tackle & Baits

  We have no record of the rules that apply on this bank. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. Nothing built is recorded close to the bank here. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Take the rules with you rather than trusting memory. Where the way in crosses private ground, ask first. Cordella Lake at 1.8 km is the sensible second choice. Treat Tom Allin Lake as unsettled until someone local tells you otherwise.