 Queen Charlotte Lodge Photo You can also reel in halibut weighing up to 135 kg (300 lb) while ocean fishing off Kitimat's brilliant, dark-green waters. Chinook salmon range anywhere up to 22-27 kg (50-60 lb).
Check in with the local tackle shop or with guides for up-to-date fishing information. No matter where you fish, don't forget to take in the magnificent scenery around you!
A word or two on your excursion:
- Appropriate fishing license(s) required
A word or two on safety:
- Life jackets are mandatory in BC
Lakes District (Burns Lake area)
Some of the best rainbow trout fishing is found on a legendary stretch of water known as "Rainbow Alley," in the Lakes District of Burns Lake. This is where Babine Lake joins Nilkitkwa Lake and narrows into the Babine River.
Around 300 lakes make up the Lakes District. Among the most popular are Babine Lake - longest freshwater lake in BC - and Francois Lake, with its free ferry service from the north to the south side of the lake. Common catches in the Lakes District include rainbow trout, char and kokanee. The best time to fish is from June to mid-August.
The Lakes District is about a three-hour drive west from Prince George, on Highway 16.
Skeena River System
The mighty steelhead, averaging 4.5 kg (10 lb), lures anglers to Northern BC's Skeena River System each year, for it produces more large steelhead than any other watershed in the world. Steelhead season is from March to May and from August to November.
For inexperienced anglers or those with limited time, it's recommended that you fish with a guide. Anglers going solo may prefer the Kispiox, Bulkley, Zymoetz (Copper) and Morice Rivers, for they are close to paved and logging roads.
The most common fish in the river system include steelhead, all five species of salmon, Dolly Varden and cutthroat trout.
The Skeena River System is located between Houston and Prince Rupert, off Highway 16.
Kitimat
The Northern BC community of Kitimat offers both superb freshwater (Kitimat River) and saltwater (Douglas Channel) fishing in a beautiful wilderness setting of sheer rock walls and cascading waterfalls.
Common species in the Kitimat area include salmon, halibut, red snapper, lingcod, dungeness crab, jumbo prawns, sea-run cutthroat trout and steelhead. The area's spring salmon get as large as 22-27 kg (50-60 lb), while halibut can be enormous.
Kitimat is about a one-hour drive south from Terrace, off Highway 37.
Prince Rupert
Prince Rupert is one of BC's fishing hotspots. Situated on the migratory salmon routes of the North Coast waters, it's rich in salmon, giant halibut, rockfish, lingcod, crab and prawns.
There are a number of fly-in lodges in this unspoiled northern wilderness, where the wildlife viewing is just as spectacular as the angling. Be on the lookout for bald eagles, seals, sea lions and whales as well as grizzly and black bears.
In nearby Port Edward, anglers may want to visit the North Pacific Historic Fishing Village. Established in 1889, it is now BC's oldest surviving salmon cannery.
Queen Charlotte Islands
The waters off Queen Charlotte Islands are one of the most productive fishing grounds in the province. You can catch any number of species including halibut, all five species of salmon, river steelhead, lingcod, rockfish, dungeness crab and prawns.
This untamed land is rich in Haida culture, for the islands have been home to the Aboriginal people for at least ten thousand years. The waters boast a variety of marine life and are a stunning location in which to cast a line. Take time to visit ancient rainforests, seemingly endless beaches and view the wildlife, which includes a bounty of sea lions, whales and approximately 1.5 million sea birds.
The Queen Charlotte Islands are accessed via an eight-hour ferry ride from Prince Rupert. Air service is also available from Vancouver and Prince Rupert.
A word or two on your excursion:
- If not on a guided tour, visitors must make a reservation and attend an orientation session in Queen Charlotte City or Sandspit before entering Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve and Haida Heritage Site
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