Skeena Fishing 2015
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Page 20
Nilkitkwa Lake N
ilkitkwa Lake is a narrow lake famous for its great stonefly hatch and trophy trout.
The stonefly hatch starts with the warmer weather and normally lasts until the end of July—sometimes into August.
Try to cast a dry-fly pattern downstream and let it drift with the boat. Keep the line loose in order to make the fly look real. When fishing along the weed beds, try a Parachute Adams or Royal Wullf dry fly. A Sofa Pillow will also work well.
Compared to its upstream neighbour, Babine Lake, Nilkitkwa Lake is quite shallow and has large weed beds. The Babine River flows through the lake, creating a slow-moving current well suited for drift fishing.
The salmon runs on Babine River provide an excellent food source for rainbow trout, which are sustained by salmon carcasses as well as the salmon fry that emerge from stream beds.
Upstream of this lake is a short section of river known as “Rainbow Alley,” which boasts some of the best rainbow trout fishing in the province. The trout can
grow larger than ten pounds. Please consult the B.C. Freshwater Fishing Regulations for restrictions in place.
Nilkitkwa Lake is designated as fly-fishing only, and there is a bait ban in effect (see regulations for exceptions). For more information about some great hand-tied flies for Nilkitkwa Lake, visit webflyz. com.
Take a look at the web page for Nilkitkwa Lake at anglersatlas.com/lake/142929. This is a great place to post your own fishing tips and stories, as well as share your map markers for everything from hotspots to hazards. If Nilkitkwa Lake is one of your favourites, sign up to receive a
Rust iic charm
notification whenever someone posts new information to the page. See anglersatlas.com for details. LAKE ACCESS
F
o l l o w Highway 16 east to Eckman Road on
the left (west), just past Smithers. Turn here and follow for 53 km. (Note: The road eventually turns into Babine Lake Road.) Turn left (north) onto the Nilkitkwa Forest Service Road and follow it for 44 km to the turnoff to Fort Babine on the right (east). There is a small provincial park, accessible by boat, on Nilkitkwa Lake consisting of two sections of lakefront. Both lie within a protected bay and have nice beaches. Visit BC Parks website for further information: www.bcparks.ca
Quick Facts Surface Area • 487 Hectares (1,203 Acres) Maximum Depth • 21 metres (69 feet) Elevation (ASL) • 712 metres (2,336 feet) Survey Date • 1964 Contour Units • Metres
© The Angler’s Atlas
Caution: Do not use this map for navigational purposes. This map may not reflect current conditions. Uncharted hazards may exist. Base Map ©Province of British Columbia.
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