Southwestern BC Fishing

Welcome to the third edition of the Southwestern BC Fishing Mapbook. This book is the latest in our continuing quest to produce the perfect fishing guide.

Of course, different people have different definitions of what defines the perfect fishing experience. Some people love fast and furious action. They’d rather snag 100 small fish in a day than spend time waiting around for the big one. Others would rather sit patiently waiting for The One. Some people prefer bar fishing for salmon, sitting with a dozen other anglers and shooting the breeze; catching a fish is almost secondary to the experience. Still others enjoy the pure fly-fishing experience, standing knee deep in a fast flowing mountain stream searching for trout and the experience is sullied somehow if there is another angler within 5 kilometres.

As a result, there is a vast diversity in the lakes and rivers we present here, from urban fishing lakes where catchable-sized rainbow provide fast and furious action to hike-in lakes that are at least a day’s walk from the nearest road and where the trout might see only a handful of anglers all season.

The other major change with this book is that we’ve re-drawn the boundaries to include lakes and streams in the Thompson Nicola. This effectively doubles the size of the area covered, but not to worry; we’ve also (more than) doubled the size of the book.

Southwestern BC is a vast area, stretching from the Lower Mainland north past Pemberton and east to Manning Park, then north to include Merritt, Kamloops and Wells Gray Provincial Park. The waterbodies in this area are comprised of two fishing regions: Region 2 and Region 3.

Region 2 offers some of the most scenic lakes in the province. The wet climate, spectacular coastal mountains and the deep, dark lakes makes the scenery as much of the fishing experience as the fishing. To compliment the surroundings, there is an abundance of small trout allowing fishermen of all ages to enjoy a successful outing. Whether you are an ardent fly fisherman or prefer the ol’ fashion bait and bobber, there is surprisingly good lake fishing very close to the urban centres.

In addition to the lakes, we have included a sampling of some of the best rivers in Region 2. The Fraser is arguably the world’s most important salmon river, the Pitt offers some of the best river fishing in the world, and the Vedder/Chilliwack is easily the most popular fishing river in the province. Add to these three a handful of other rivers, and you have some of the best river fishing in the world.

Region 3, on the other hand, is not known for its river fishing. While the Thompson is considered the best steelheading river in the world, it is the exception that proves the rule. But the lake fishing here is unbelievable. The Bonaparte Plateau is a world class trout fishing destination, and the lakes here offer some of the finest fishing around. Due to the abundance of nutrient rich alkaline waters in this region, fish are faster growing and achieve larger sizes then the coastal lakes.

In choosing any waterbody, a review of the fishing regulations is a must. The lakes and streams are heavily regulated to ensure that the fish stocks are not significantly depleted and remain healthy for years to come.

Since a lot of the lakes require you to weave your way through a maze of backroads, we recommend you pick up a copy of the Vancouver, Coast & Mountains Backroad Mapbook and the Thompson Okanagan BC Backroad Mapbook. These books have detailed maps along with descriptions on everything from camping areas to other fishing opportunities. They are the perfect compliment to the Fishing Mapbook series.