Fishing Trapper Lake in Stikine Region, British Columbia

• Overview

  Stikine Region, British Columbia, is where Trapper Lake sits. It stands 769 metres above sea level. This is sizeable water at about 5.60 sq km, and a boat opens up most of it. The edge covers about 20 km, enough to hold several distinct areas. On our Stikine Region list it sits near the top for size. Nearest town is Juneau, 106 km off. Haines is 184 km away, with Petersburg at 184 km. Rules here are straightforward: one set of provincial rules.

• Where to Fish on Trapper Lake

  There is no recorded depth, so work from what you can see. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. Open biodiversity records for Stikine Region list Chinook salmon, sockeye salmon, Coho salmon and mountain whitefish. At least one recorded species is protected in parts of its range; read the local rules before targeting anything. Read Trapper Lake before you fish it and the day goes better.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-run averages give July about 11°C and January about -11°C. A solid cap is the normal state through winter. Winter locks it down, and mid May brings it back. Ice usually gives way near mid May, and forms again about early November. Reckon on open water from spring through to late autumn, with May and June the strongest. That is the shape of the year on Trapper Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public sources are silent on who controls the bank. 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. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Where access is informal, keep it that way by behaving. Some ground is open by custom rather than by right, so tread carefully. Should this one be busy, Tunjony Lake is 6.2 km off. Treat access at Trapper Lake as something to verify.