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TOP FISHING DESTINATIONS AROUND PRINCE GEORGE: EENA LAKE: Eena Lake is an ideal location, both for its beauty and its high catch rates. A neighbor to Nukko Lake northwest of Prince George, families and beginners will find this a great place to start. Brian Smith, author of Fly Fishing BC’s Interior, says that the west side of the island is a great place to start at any time. FERGUSON LAKE: Ferguson Lake is a small lake within the City of Prince George, along the northeast edge of the city limits. Since 2007, the lake has been developed as an urban fishery. Each year since then, volunteers from the Spruce City Wildlife Association have released rainbow trout into Ferguson Lake. NESS LAKE: Ness Lake, northwest of Prince George, is well-known for its recreational opportunities. Rainbow trout up to 6 pounds have been reported in Ness Lake, brook trout and kokanee are plentiful as well. Ness Lake has been stocked with rainbow trout, kokanee, and brook trout. NUKKO LAKE: Nukko Lake , located northwest of Prince George near Eena Lake, is surrounded by private residential and farmland. Access is difficult but there are opportunities to get a canoe on the water. Northern pikeminnow have become the dominant catch in recent years. PURDEN LAKE: Nestled on the western edge of the Rocky Mountains, Purden Lake is deep and known for its clear water. Purden Lake is regularly stocked with rainbow trout and, more recently, kokanee. Burbot are a regularly targeted winter species on Purden Lake. SHANE LAKE: Located 10 minutes down a nature trail in Forests for the World, Shane Lake is very productive, with a lot of food for the fish. As a result, the trout grow fast. During the cooler seasons, the fish are found throughout the lake and can be easily caught from the dock at the northeast edge of the lake. TABOR LAKE: “Tabor is a great fishing lake,” says Dan Moffat from The Northern. Both flies and lures are good choices, and with so many hatches, anglers can feel free to experiment. “Try Hotshots, or Flatfish, or any attracting gang troll,” he suggests. Tabor Lake is east of Prince George. VERDANT LAKE: Anglers have reported brook trout in the 2 to 5 pound range. Verdant is a popular ice fishing lake and can be quite productive. Neighbouring Vivian Lake, Verdant is a great lake to bring the kids to in the winter. Talk to Dan Moffat at The Northern to get geared up for these brookies. VIVIAN LAKE: Vivian Lake is a small jewel northwest of Prince George past Ness Lake. Home to brook and rainbow trout, the fish are big and the lake is perfect for some tried and true fly patterns and lures. WEST/NADSILNICH LAKE: Nadsilnich or West Lake is a popular location for both summer and winter activities. With West Lake Provincial Park at the north end, it is a great location to bring the whole family for a day of fishing. With picturesque views, the south-facing beach is a great place to relax if the fish are not biting. MCMILLAN CREEK PARK: McMillan Creek is located just across the Nechako River on Hwy 97. This is an important spawning area for rainbow trout. With hopes of protecting this habitat, an age restriction for sportfishing is in place: anglers under 16 and over 65 only.

TOP SPECIES AROUND PRINCE GEORGE: LAKE TROUT – Lake Trout or “lakers” are a uniquely Canadian char that can be distinguished by their round shape, light spots, and forked tail. Use a tube jig in the deepest water and you just might get lucky! BROOK TROUT – Brook Trout or “brookies” are another char species that can be found in Prince George lakes. These beautiful fish with red/blue spots can be targeted using small spinners like a #0 Mepps or a #0 Blue Fox. RAINBOW TROUT – Rainbow Trout are easily the most abundant fish species in our area. They are regularly stocked in local lakes and can be easily targeted using a small spinner or spoon. KOKANEE – Kokanee are a blue/silver landlocked sockeye salmon and another popular sportfish in this region. They spend most of their time mid-depth eating light sensitive zooplankton. Try using a flasher and a glow hook, reel slowly because these fish are easily spooked! BULL TROUT – ”Bullies” are aggressive predators with pink-orange spotting, big heads, and large mouths. Although bullies are more often targeted using a fly-rod/streamer combo on a river, you can also catch them in local lakes with a silver spoon if you are lucky. BURBOT – Burbot can be found in many northern lakes and are best targeted in the winter, through the ice. Use a heavy flasher jig and hammer it into the lake bottom. The sound and cloud of debris should entice a hungry burbot, if they are close by.

HELI-FISHING IN PRINCE GEORGE A heli-fishing trip can take your northern adventure to the next level. Fly from the largest city in northern BC to remote locations to find truly untouched wilderness. Whether you are an experienced angler or relatively new to the sport, there are few better ways to experience northern BC’s interior. Kate Watson from Northern Outback Adventures tells us “Heli fishing offers the opportunity to explore seemingly untouched wild places our vast province offers.” Trips can be personally designed and will no doubt provide you with your best fishing story yet! Contact Kate and let her help you plan your perfect heli-fishing adventure. PRINCE GEORGE’S ROD LOAN PROGRAM Tourism Prince George is open year-round and offers free rod and equipment rentals for both open water and ice fishing through a partnership with the Freshwater Fisheries Society of BC. As long as you have a fishing license, you can rent all the gear you need to get started for a week, with no deposit required. Share pictures of your experience by tagging #takeonpg on Instagram or Twitter.

Vivian Lake Resort

(10465 Vivian Lake Rd, Prince George, BC, V2K 5N2) Vivian Lake Resort is a hospitable resort just twenty minutes north of Prince George. Pets are welcome and activities include swimming, a kids’ playground and fishing for stocked Rainbow and Brook trout. A queen bed and bunk beds with an indoor bathroom and kitchen are in each cabin.

Summit Lake Resort

(815 Adams Rd, Prince George, BC) Summit Lake Resort provides RV sites and cabin rentals on beautiful Summit Lake, just 50 km north of Prince George. At the Resort you can enjoy swimming, water sports, fishing, nearby hiking, and the serenity of the lakefront view scape.

Rockin's River Resort

(3865 Salmon Valley Rd, Prince George, BC, V2K 5X3) Rockin's River Resort is situated on the beautiful Salmon River in a forest of beautiful old growth trees. There are many spacious riverside and easy pull-through RV campsites along with a variety of spaces to fit your camping needs.

Norton North Ranch

(6505 Lower Mud River Rd, Prince George, BC, V2N 5C3) Like the guests that stay here, Norton North Ranch Cottages are unique. Three individual first class cottages, allowing for privacy and exclusivity on the 300 acre ranch which is close to town but a world apart -private, spacious, and secure

Finger Lake Resort

(400 Gold Rd, KM 59 Kluskus Rd, Finger Lake, BC, V0J 3A0) Finger Lake Wilderness Resort is less than two hours from Prince George. This pet-friendly wilderness resort is opened year round and provides the only access to 9 km long Finger Lake. There may be no one else on the lake except you and the loons.