Fishing Northern BC Lakes and Rivers by RV

Rules change. Seasons, closures and limits change often and can change mid-season. We link to the official pages rather than repeat them, so check them before every trip.

Licences and rules

• Fresh water: lakes and rivers are managed by the Province of BC. Licences are sold through the WILD system. The Skeena (Region 6), Omineca (Region 7A) and Peace (Region 7B) synopses lists the rules for these waters, and the provincial regulations page lists in-season changes.
• Salmon and steelhead: rivers with salmon or steelhead often have their own closures and licence conditions, so check the synopsis before you plan around one.
• Towing a boat: BC requires watercraft to be transported with the drain plug removed and water drained on dry land, and anglers are asked to clean, drain and dry boats and gear between waters to stop invasive species.

Choose your fishing area

• Terrace and the Skeena
• Smithers and the Bulkley Valley
• Burns Lake and the Lakes District
• Prince George, Fort St. James and the Nechako
• Charlie Lake and Fort St. John
• Hudson's Hope, Dawson Creek, Chetwynd and Mackenzie
• Atlin and Atlin Lake
• Stewart and Fish Creek
• Dease Lake and the Dease River
• Fort Nelson, Liard River and the Alaska Highway

Fish named for this region: Trout, Salmon, Walleye, Northern pike, Yellow perch. Read the species guide.

Terrace and the Skeena

• Lower Skeena
• Steelhead, Chinook, coho, sockeye, pink and chum; rainbow, cutthroat, bull trout and Dolly Varden

Bait Your Hook names the Skeena River at Terrace, the Kalum, Copper (Zymoetz) and Kitimat rivers, and Lakelse Lake.

We list 13 campgrounds and camp sites in this area. Browse the regional campground directory.

Smithers and the Bulkley Valley

• Bulkley Valley
• Steelhead, Pacific salmon, lake trout, rainbow trout, cutthroat, Dolly Varden and burbot

Tourism Smithers names steelhead as the main focus on the Bulkley, Morice, Kispiox, Babine, Suskwa, Sustut and Skeena rivers, and Babine and Chapman lakes.

We list 9 campgrounds and camp sites in this area. Compare RV campgrounds near Smithers.

Burns Lake and the Lakes District

• Lakes District
• Rainbow trout and char (named for the northwest)

Destination BC names Ootsa and Francois lakes and the Nechako Reservoir in its northwest list.

We list 4 campgrounds and camp sites in this area. Compare RV campgrounds near Burns Lake.

Prince George, Fort St. James and the Nechako

• Central Interior North
• Char and rainbow trout (Stuart Lake)

Destination BC names Stuart Lake near Fort St. James for char and rainbow trout, along with Takla and Nation lakes and the Fraser River.

We list 16 campgrounds and camp sites in this area. Compare RV campgrounds near Prince George; Compare RV campgrounds near Fort Fraser.

Charlie Lake and Fort St. John

• Peace region
• Walleye, northern pike and yellow perch (Charlie Lake)

Destination BC names walleye, northern pike and yellow perch in Charlie Lake, north of Fort St. John.

We list 8 campgrounds and camp sites in this area. Compare RV campgrounds near Charlie Lake.

Hudson's Hope, Dawson Creek, Chetwynd and Mackenzie

• Peace region
• Rainbow, bull, brook and lake trout, Arctic grayling, pike, walleye (northeast region)

Destination BC names Williston Lake, the Peace, Pine, Parsnip and Murray rivers, Gwillim Lake and the Crooked River lakes for the northeast.

We list 19 campgrounds and camp sites in this area. Browse the regional campground directory.

Atlin and Atlin Lake

• Atlin
• Lake trout, Arctic grayling, Dolly Varden and whitefish (named for Atlin Lake)

Hello BC says Atlin Provincial Park surrounds the southern third of Atlin Lake, which has lake trout, Arctic grayling, Dolly Varden and two whitefish species.

We list 1 campgrounds and camp sites in this area. Browse the regional campground directory.

Stewart and Fish Creek

• Portland Canal
• Chum salmon (named for Fish Creek and Portland Canal)

Hello BC says Fish Creek and the Portland Canal, reached from Highway 37A near Stewart, have some of the biggest chum salmon on the coast, and that Fish Creek is catch-and-release only.

We list 4 campgrounds and camp sites in this area. Browse the regional campground directory.

Dease Lake and the Dease River

• Stikine and Dease
• Char, burbot, whitefish and grayling (named for Dease Lake and the Dease River)

Hello BC says Dease Lake offers char and northern species such as burbot and round whitefish, and reports good grayling fishing on the Dease River, which runs through Boya Lake Provincial Park to the Liard River.

We list 4 campgrounds and camp sites in this area. Browse the regional campground directory.

Fort Nelson, Liard River and the Alaska Highway

• Alaska Highway
• Waters not yet matched to fish

The northern Alaska Highway from Fort Nelson to Liard Hot Springs. We list the campgrounds, but have not found a source we trust for the fish here.

We list 5 campgrounds and camp sites in this area. Browse the regional campground directory.

Gear for this water

• Shore fishing essentials. A compact rod and reel suited to your target fish. Search on Amazon
• River & fly-fishing kit. A rod/reel combination suited to the planned method. Search on Amazon

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. More fishing and boating gear.

Where the fish names come from

• Destination BC: Fishing Northern BC
• Tourism Smithers: Fishing and hunting
• Bait Your Hook: Fishing in Terrace
• Hello BC: Fishing Northern BC

Keep planning

• Fishing in British Columbia
• Fishing regulations and licences in Canada
• Northern BC campgrounds
• Best RV trips in British Columbia