Witch Spirit Lake, British Columbia: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Witch Spirit Lake sits in Regional District of Kitimat-Stikine, out in British Columbia. The country here is rolling bush. The water covers some 32 hectares, so pick a bank rather than trying to cover it all. Roughly 2.3 km of bank means you can walk to a fresh area when one goes quiet. Start from Wrangell, 174 km down the road. Further out sit Petersburg (177 km) and Juneau (246 km). It lies deep inside the county rather than near an edge.

• Where to Fish on Witch Spirit Lake

  Depth is not on record here, which means reading the ground instead. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. Records held for Regional District of Kitimat-Stikine cover pink 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. The near bank of Witch Spirit Lake is often the one people ignore.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Seasonal averages run from -12°C in January up to 12°C in July. The middle months are generous; the ends are demanding. Count the season from break-up, usually early May. The water is typically free of ice between early May and early November. Right after break-up, and again as the nights sharpen, is when to go. Plan around that when you fish Witch Spirit Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Who may fish here is not settled in anything we hold. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. 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. Parking is often the real limit rather than the bank itself. Keep proof of licence with you rather than in the car. Kakiddi Lake, 2.5 km away, makes the obvious fallback. Where Witch Spirit Lake is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.