Easy To Access Ice Fishing In The Lakes District

Having spent my entire life living in the Lakes District region of northern British Columbia, I have spent a significant amount of time fishing and exploring the endless lakes and area right in my backyard. Growing up on Francois Lake meant that we didn’t necessarily spend too much time on other lakes in the summer – there was amazing fishing right in front of our house, so no need to go anywhere else.

 

Winter was a different story, though. While Francois Lake did freeze near our place, we lived along the widest part of the lake so oftentimes the ice wouldn’t be very thick, if it even froze at all. If memory serves right, we probably spent more time ice fishing on lakes in the surrounding area than we did at home. Living in the place that is known for “thousands of miles of lakeshore,” the opportunities were endless, even though we didn’t have a snowmobile to get into some of the more remote lakes.

 

Here’s three opportunities in the area that do not require a snowmobile to get to them – if you don’t mind a little walk out to the fishing hole, these are all accessible by vehicle. Keep in mind that some of these are located along forest service roads, so exercise caution and be aware that road conditions change constantly.

Sawmill Point (Francois Lake)

Located on the east end of Francois Lake, southwest of the village of Fraser Lake, Sawmill Point (in Francois Lake Park) is a great location to get out ice fishing on Francois Lake. Try your luck for lake and rainbow trout! Accessible from Highway 16 via an approximately 15-minute drive along Francois Lake Road, Nithi Road and finally Dahlgren Road.

 

Guyishton Lake

This one is a bit of a farther walk in, but we spent many fun afternoons fishing on Guyishton Lake for rainbow trout. This is a popular lake for locals and oftentimes there will be a hard-packed trail from snowmobiles to walk into the lake on from Guyishton Lake Forest Service Road. The turnoff for the forest service road is approximately nine kilometres south of Burns Lake along Highway 35.

 

Co-op Lake

Approximately 22 kilometres east of Burns Lake and only a few kilometres off Highway 16 along Augier Main Forest Service Road is where you will find Co-op Lake. This lake is stocked with with both kokanee and eastern brook trout, making for exciting fishing opportunities!