Fishing Trout Lake in Stikine Region, British Columbia

• Overview

  Trout Lake stands in Stikine Region, British Columbia. Everything around it is spruce and muskeg. It measures some 4.39 sq km, and wind has room to build across it. Some 16 km of bank gives room to move when the wind turns. On our Stikine Region list it sits near the top for size. For supplies, Skagway is 146 km out. Anchorage is the closest city, 953 km away. The county line is nowhere near, so one local authority covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Trout Lake

  Our records hold no depth for this water. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Stikine Region records list Chinook salmon, sockeye salmon, Coho salmon, mountain whitefish and Arctic grayling among the fish reported. Several of these carry legal protection or closed seasons; the rulebook comes before the rod. The shape of Trout Lake rewards a slow walk along one bank.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Climate normals give 12°C for July and -16°C for January. Long winters and short summers set the pattern. Ice is part of the season here, ending near mid May. On the long-run averages the water opens up around mid May and starts locking again about late October. The open run goes from the thaw to the freeze, and April through October covers most of it. Plan any trip to Trout Lake around it.

• Tackle & Baits

  We have no record of the rules that apply on this bank. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. Nothing in the way of made access shows up nearby: no ramp, no car park, no path. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Bank access can be seasonal on ground like this. Keep proof of licence with you rather than in the car. If the gate is shut, Eva Lake at 14 km is the nearest alternative. Ask locally about Trout Lake if anything is unclear.