Vines Lake in Stikine Region: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Vines Lake is a Stikine Region water, British Columbia side. Elevation runs to 955 metres. It runs to roughly 72 hectares — big enough to hold fish away from the bank, small enough to learn. With 6.2 km or so of shoreline, boat anglers cover ground the bank cannot. The town to know is Watson Lake, 112 km out. Further out sit Juneau (288 km) and Skagway (317 km). No border sits close enough to matter.

• Where to Fish on Vines Lake

  Depth is unknown to us, and the shoreline is the better guide. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Species logged across Stikine Region include Chinook salmon, sockeye salmon, Coho salmon, mountain whitefish and Arctic grayling. Protected fish appear in the records for this area, so treat the list as information, not an invitation. Take Vines Lake a stretch at a time.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warmest month averages 12°C, the coldest about -15°C. Winter runs most of the calendar, and everything worth doing happens in the gap. The lid arrives early and lasts until roughly mid May. Climate figures give an open season running mid May to late October. June through September is the settled part of the year, with the shoulders busier for fish. That is the shape of the year on Vines Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing we hold confirms whether access is permitted. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. Mapping shows a jetty some 880 m off. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. A phone call first saves an afternoon. Check whether bait restrictions apply before you buy any. Cook Lake at 1.6 km is the sensible second choice. For Vines Lake in particular, ask before you travel.