View Full Version : March fishing around lower mainland?
Hey guys, the bite has hit me early and i want to get into some trout fishing nice and early. I am located in vancouver and have done a fair amount of fishing around Merritt and harrison/chilliwack. I am looking to bring my cartopper (with electric motor) in and just get some time outside. Anyone have any advice on locations this early in the season? The weather looks to be warming up so i'd love to get out somewhere within a few hours of me, i don't mind remote and i have a fairly capable 4x4. Thanks for any tips!
I hear KAWKAWA lake in Hope is good for Kokanee right now.
Gone_Fishin_
03-14-2016, 01:18 PM
Hicks
Deer
Trout
Jones (maybe not sure about ice still)
Grace
Wolfe
Elbow
Stacey
Weaver
Lookout
Lake of the Woods
Silver Lake
Lots and lots of lakes around here with average 12" rainbows in them
Troll slow with sinking line and a dark purple leech (or any other leech in dark colors)
Spin cast with small crocs
Good ol float and a bobber/worm or bottom with a sliding weight
Lots of opportunities around here even in town
Como
Buntzen
Green Timber
Lafarge
Ferenc
03-14-2016, 01:34 PM
I hear KAWKAWA lake in Hope is good for Kokanee right now.
Yep.... 75yds from the Red Caboose
heatherdaddy
03-14-2016, 01:39 PM
12' Rainbows, wow them are big fish :)
Hicks
Deer
Trout
Jones (maybe not sure about ice still)
Grace
Wolfe
Elbow
Stacey
Weaver
Lookout
Lake of the Woods
Silver Lake
Lots and lots of lakes around here with average 12' rainbows in them
Troll slow with sinking line and a dark purple leech (or any other leech in dark colors)
Spin cast with small crocs
Good ol float and a bobber/worm or bottom with a sliding weight
Lots of opportunities around here even in town
Como
Buntzen
Green Timber
Lafarge
Iron Glove
03-14-2016, 01:42 PM
I hear KAWKAWA lake in Hope is good for Kokanee right now.
Hush. :)
We don't need all them LMR's up here.
Hah I was actually just coming here to post something similar :) I'm looking for the same but a little farther. We usually head up to the Murphy Lakes area off the Coq at the end of March but they just have way too much snow right now. I'd like to head somewhere somewhat remote but have a hard time finding current conditions. Has any one been up near Thalia Lake/Pike Mountain? I got skunked there once and would love to try again. I have a capable 4x4 and willingness to get off the beaten path a little :) Just looking for a nice camping spot with decent fishing.
BigfishCanada
03-14-2016, 03:19 PM
My lake should have early ice off first week of April....
Hush. :)
We don't need all them LMR's up here.
I was thinking of you when i posted that LOL
Leaseman
03-15-2016, 07:24 AM
Shore fishing the Fraser for sturgeon......
Or go real light and have fun with chub and NPM......:smile:
Gone_Fishin_
03-15-2016, 07:32 AM
12' Rainbows, wow them are big fish :)
ya ya... lol didn't even notice that
some monster rainbows down here didnt you know ! lmao:razz:
caddisguy
03-15-2016, 12:19 PM
I'll be heading out to one of the mentioned lakes this weekend. It's usually spotty for our first March trip, but I'm itchy to get the boat out and want to try out some new flies I made with bear hair and grouse feathers.
May is the magic month for LML lakes. Hit them up 3-5 days after the lake is stocked and it's ridiculous lol ... a couple years back I went solo and had double headers going all day... kinda fun with no rod holders... couldn't even get a line back out before it would have a fish again. Hopefully I finish bear season early and play with those hatchery fish... might make a trout pellet fly this time :D
wideopenthrottle
03-15-2016, 12:38 PM
you allowed two lines on a fresh water lake?..i guess I better check the regs
GotaGun
03-15-2016, 12:47 PM
you allowed two lines on a fresh water lake?..i guess I better check the regs
One person in boat = 2 lines ,lake only
wideopenthrottle
03-15-2016, 12:50 PM
cool thanks...good to know
Iron Glove
03-15-2016, 03:06 PM
I was thinking of you when i posted that LOL
Just drove by Kakawa on the way home from Tulameen - still 3 - 4 feet of ice on it except where the drag boats are racing.
Don't know if the've fixed the sewage pipe under the Lake that broke last summer.
Lots of vehicle break ins too.
Not a place I'd recommend. :wink:
Kakawa sounds lovely :) I am thinking maybe even Weaver lake or possibly one in the Kane Valley.. temperatures are in the teens so i imagine the ice has melted.. then again i am an unfortunate city slicker so its been a little while since I've been out there.
Iron Glove
03-15-2016, 04:17 PM
Kakawa sounds lovely :) I am thinking maybe even Weaver lake or possibly one in the Kane Valley.. temperatures are in the teens so i imagine the ice has melted.. then again i am an unfortunate city slicker so its been a little while since I've been out there.
Hard to say, I just came back from our place in Tulameen and Otter Lake was still frozen over except a small area at the South end where it flows into Otter Creek.
And I'm not fooling this time.
MerrittBow
03-15-2016, 06:40 PM
Considering there's still over a foot of Ice on Kane valley lakes it'll be at least 3 weeks or a month. Lumbum and Marquardt aren't even close yet either. Stump lake will have fishable water on Kamloops end this weekend probably
my god.. i am considerably ahead of the seasons. Any recommendations for a more remote lake preferably without ice :)
thanks guys!
walks with deer
03-15-2016, 09:45 PM
Fish for cutthroat fry hatch should be on..
thanks! In all my years i've actually never fished cutthroat. I am leaning towards weaver.. i've never had much luck there but i don't like the idea of the more populated hicks and kawkawa lakes.
Gone_Fishin_
03-16-2016, 08:03 AM
Hicks wont be too bad this time of year, maybe the odd boat out there.
If you are going to weaver; go straight out from the launch and pass the bay/island on your right, then head to the back right North/East corner. There is a bunch of logs up on shore. There is a a decent drop off about 30 yards out from the logs.
Work this area by trolling and keep doing loops in that back North/East bay. There is a decent shoal and point where youll go out and around then back into the corner and make your loop.
Intermediate sink line
Best fly for me has been a black/red flash leech with a bead head in either copper or red.
If you dont have a fly rod; put a few split shots on and i would still use a leech over spoons or gear. Leave about 6-8' between your split shots and leech
Cheers
wideopenthrottle
03-16-2016, 08:14 AM
Hicks wont be too bad this time of year, maybe the odd boat out there.
If you are going to weaver; go straight out from the launch and pass the bay/island on your right, then head to the back right North/East corner. There is a bunch of logs up on shore. There is a a decent drop off about 30 yards out from the logs.
Work this area by trolling and keep doing loops in that back North/East bay. There is a decent shoal and point where youll go out and around then back into the corner and make your loop.
Intermediate sink line
Best fly for me has been a black/red flash leech with a bead head in either copper or red.
If you dont have a fly rod; put a few split shots on and i would still use a leech over spoons or gear. Leave about 6-8' between your split shots and leech
Cheers
wow...very nice detailed instructions there...thought you were gonna offer to bait his hook too...heheheheh...you are very kind and helpful
walks with deer
03-16-2016, 08:48 AM
Fry patterns on stave chehalis Fraser hartisan or Vedder will produce.
thanks Gone_fishin, very thorough i really appreciate it. I was considering some of the local rivers but i just got a new trolling motor and am desperate to get some time on the lake.
Not remote but as far as inner city lakes go sasmat is hard to beat. It always filled the gap for me before ice off in the interior. That was before I left the city.
happyhunter
03-18-2016, 07:07 PM
Sounds like a lot of these LML lakes just don't produce large fish. I caught a couple of 10" rainbows in grace a few weeks ago. Guys at the dock asked did ya keep em? Lol
in case anyone wants a report i just got back from a nice trip to weaver lake. I sure as hell packed the wrong tent/bag as even 4 layers wasn't enough to keep me adequately warm throughout the night. Caught probably half a dozen 8-10" trout.. i think all rainbow and maybe one cutthroat. Had probably 20 hard bites but i was trying to catch the "big one" so i assume they were nipping at the back of the fly missing the hook. After switching to the smaller hooks i had nothing but success. Probably 5 other boats out there which was more than i saw last august! The logs were a disaster and completely barricaded the dock in so you had to literally walk on logs lifting your boat over them to get out.. apparently my 30lb thrust wasn't enough to push them out of the way. Anyway, i just had the one day of fishing as today was just too wet and they seemed to be literally biting on any fly.
caddisguy
03-20-2016, 09:20 PM
Tried to hit up Deer lake this weekend but it was closed for construction until the 23rd. Even checked the website before we left and it said it was open for winter camping, no special notices. Thanks BC Parks... asshats. Felt bad for all the folks showing up hauling trailers and hitting the gate. Ended up putting our boat in at hicks day area. Trolled aroud the lake... had a few hits but didn't land anything but what a blast trolling around with a rod in hand drinking hot soup from the thermas. Still wanted to camp somewhere for the night so we drove a ways up East Harrison road then up a spur for a great view of harrison and a nice big fire. Great first camp trip of the year.
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