Turnbull Lake, British Columbia: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Set in Regional District of Alberni-Clayoquot, British Columbia, this is Turnbull Lake. The setting is farm and woodlot. It runs to roughly 18 hectares — big enough to hold fish away from the bank, small enough to learn. The bank runs about 3.5 km all the way round, so one visit can cover most of it. The nearest place of any size is Cumberland, 22 km away. Vancouver sits 145 km out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. No boundary runs near, so the local rules hold throughout.

• Where to Fish on Turnbull Lake

  No depth figure appears in our records, so the bank has to tell you. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. Across Regional District of Alberni-Clayoquot, recorded fish include Chinook salmon, sockeye salmon, Chum salmon and Coho salmon. At least one recorded species is protected in parts of its range; read the local rules before targeting anything. On Turnbull Lake the first feature you find is usually worth a session.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages here run 16°C at the top of summer and 1°C at the bottom of winter. Whether it freezes depends on the year. It is not guaranteed from one year to the next. June to September is hot work, so the first and last hours are what count. It holds true on Turnbull Lake more years than not.

• Tackle & Baits

  We have no record of the rules that apply on this bank. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. We find no slipway, car park or made path within a short radius, so treat access as rough. Light line and small metal for the trout; a fly rod earns its place on calm evenings. Where the road in crosses private land, ask first. Some ground is open by custom rather than by right, so tread carefully. Failing this one, try Ash Lake, 1.3 km away. Check the position on Turnbull Lake before loading the car.