Vivian Lake, British Columbia: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  British Columbia holds Vivian Lake, in Regional District of Bulkley-Nechako. Country round the bank runs to mixed forest. With some 25 hectares of water, there is room for a boat but no need of one. Shoreline comes to about 2.4 km, small enough to learn in a day. For supplies, Vanderhoof is 53 km out. Kamloops is the closest city, 429 km away. It lies deep inside the county rather than near an edge.

• Where to Fish on Vivian Lake

  Without a survey to go on, judge depth from how the bank falls away. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. County-wide records name sockeye salmon, Coho salmon, Chinook salmon, pink salmon and Chum salmon. Some of the species recorded here are protected or tightly regulated, so check what may be targeted before you fish. Fish Vivian Lake where the bottom changes rather than where it looks deep.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July is the warm end of the year here, averaging about 12°C, while January sits near -11°C. Winter shuts things down for a spell, then spring reopens them fast. Hard water holds through the cold months, breaking up near late April. Expect the water usable from around late April until roughly mid November. Late spring and early autumn carry the year between them. It sets the rhythm of the year at Vivian Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether you may fish here is not something records settle. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. Nothing is mapped in the way of a ramp or car park within a short radius. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. Where access is informal, keep it that way by behaving. Some water is controlled locally without a sign saying so. Wren Lake sits 1.4 km off and takes the overflow. Treat Vivian Lake as unsettled until someone local tells you otherwise.