Babine Lake
MU 6-8, Skeena
54.7827° N, 126.0332° W
- Surface area
- 49500ha
- Maximum depth
- 186m
- 610 ft
- Elevation
- 711m
Stretching 153 km, Babine Lake is the longest natural freshwater lake in British Columbia. As the primary nursery for the Skeena River sockeye salmon run, its rich biomass supports massive lake trout (char) exceeding 25-30 lbs and acrobatic wild rainbow trout.
Open Babine Lake in the appThe 7-day forecast, max depth and wildfire smoke check, on the lake's own coordinate.
Trophy fish at Babine Lake
Babine Lake is known for trophy Lake trout to 25 lb.
- Rainbow trout to 12 lb
- Lake trout to 25 lb
Trophy sizes this lake is known for, not a typical catch. They are historical records from our own big fish list, with no date on file, not recent catches.
Babine Lake at a glance
- Region
- Skeena
- Management unit
- MU 6-8
- Species
- Rainbow Trout, Lake Trout, Bull Trout, Kokanee, Burbot, Lake Whitefish, Coastal Cutthroat Trout, Whitefish (General) (last recorded 1995), Pygmy Whitefish (last recorded 1970), Cutthroat Trout (last recorded 1965), Mountain Whitefish (last recorded 1965), Sockeye Salmon, Salmon (General) (last recorded 1979), Chinook Salmon (last recorded 1965), Coho Salmon (last recorded 1965), Pink Salmon (last recorded 1965), Steelhead (last recorded 1965), Prickly Sculpin, Redside Shiner, Lake Chub, Peamouth Chub, Northern Pikeminnow, Longnose Sucker, Largescale Sucker, White Sucker (last recorded 1970), Longnose Dace (last recorded 1965), Arctic Lamprey (last recorded 1948)The newest of these fish records is from 2014.Species from the province's fish observation records.
- Lake size
- Large Water (> 500 ha)
- Ice fishing
- Open to ice fishing, confirmed
- Coordinates
- 54.782703, -126.033158
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Gear for lake trout
Lines, leaders, lures and flies for lake trout, searched on Amazon.ca.
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Fish on record at Babine Lake
| Species | First recorded | Last recorded | Records |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rainbow Trout | 1960 | 2014 | 8 |
| Lake Trout | 1965 | 2014 | 33 |
| Kokanee | 1965 | 2014 | 3 |
| Burbot | 1965 | 2014 | 19 |
| Lake Whitefish | 1965 | 2014 | 15 |
| Coastal Cutthroat Trout | 2011 | 2011 | 1 |
| Whitefish (General) | 1995 | 1995 | 1 |
| Pygmy Whitefish | 1970 | 1970 | 1 |
| Cutthroat Trout | 1965 | 1965 | 2 |
| Mountain Whitefish | 1965 | 1965 | 2 |
| Sockeye Salmon | 1965 | 2014 | 24 |
| Salmon (General) | 1979 | 1979 | 1 |
| Chinook Salmon | 1965 | 1965 | 2 |
| Coho Salmon | 1965 | 1965 | 2 |
| Pink Salmon | 1965 | 1965 | 2 |
| Steelhead | 1965 | 1965 | 2 |
| Prickly Sculpin | 1965 | 2014 | 77 |
| Redside Shiner | 1965 | 2014 | 26 |
| Lake Chub | 2012 | 2014 | 20 |
| Peamouth Chub | 1965 | 2014 | 15 |
| Northern Pikeminnow | 1965 | 2014 | 13 |
| Longnose Sucker | 1965 | 2014 | 5 |
| Largescale Sucker | 1970 | 2011 | 2 |
| White Sucker | 1970 | 1970 | 1 |
| Longnose Dace | 1965 | 1965 | 2 |
| Arctic Lamprey | 1948 | 1948 | 1 |
A year is when the Province last recorded the fish here, not a statement that it is caught today.
How to fish Babine Lake
Deep trolling with heavy steel lines or downriggers near underwater humps and drop-offs with large Flatfish (T-50/M-2), Luhr Jensen Kwikfish, and Apex lures for lake trout. Fast trolling spoons and streamers along rocky shorelines for wild rainbows.
Best times of year at Babine Lake
- Summer (June-Aug)
- Fall (Sept-Oct)
Babine Lake fishing regulations
No Fishing east of a line from Gullwing Creek to the south shore of Babine Lake; No Fishing within a 400 m radius of the mouth of Pinkut Creek, Aug 15-Sept 15; That section of flowing water between Babine and Nilkitkwa lakes, known as "Rainbow Alley", is designated Babine River (see map 2 page 51); see Babine River regulations below (paragraphs 3 and 4). Source: Province of British Columbia
Getting to Babine Lake
Paved and maintained gravel road access via Hwy 118 from Topley to Granisle, and Pendleton Bay from Burns Lake.
Coordinates: 54.782703, -126.033158
Camping and rec sites at Babine Lake
- Babine Lake Provincial Park (Red Bluff)
28 vehicle campsites, concrete boat launch, dock, sandy swimming beach & sani-station
Facilities: Concrete Boat Launch, Dock, Campground, Pit Toilets, Sandy Beach
Access: Paved Hwy 118 via Granisle (2WD)
How deep Babine Lake is
186 mdeepest
Babine Lake runs to 186 m (610 ft) at its deepest.
Ice fishing at Babine Lake
Babine Lake is open to ice fishing under the regulations on file.
Whether a lake is open to ice fishing says nothing about whether its ice will hold you. Ice conditions vary year to year and across a single lake. Check locally before going out, every time.
This week at Babine Lake
The forecast on this lake's own coordinate, refreshed through the day. The app reads these seven days for fishing and scores each one.
| Day | Sky | High / low | Wind | Rain | Pressure |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tue 20 Oct | Overcast | 8° / 1° | 10 km/h, gusts 24 | dry | Steady |
| Wed 21 Oct | Moderate drizzle | 7° / 3° | 8 km/h, gusts 17 | 2 mm | Falling (-7.8 hPa) |
| Thu 22 Oct | Slight snow showers | 5° / 1° | 7 km/h, gusts 19 | 1 mm | Rising (+7.7 hPa) |
| Fri 23 Oct | Overcast | 4° / 0° | 4 km/h, gusts 14 | dry | Rising (+10.4 hPa) |
| Sat 24 Oct | Mainly clear | 5° / 0° | 4 km/h, gusts 15 | dry | Rising (+1.2 hPa) |
| Sun 25 Oct | Mainly clear | 5° / 0° | 6 km/h, gusts 18 | dry | Rising (+4.7 hPa) |
| Mon 26 Oct | Overcast | 5° / 1° | 4 km/h, gusts 11 | dry | Falling (-3.6 hPa) |
Babine Lake, in brief
What fish are in Babine Lake?
Rainbow Trout, Lake Trout, Bull Trout, Kokanee, Burbot, Lake Whitefish, Coastal Cutthroat Trout, Whitefish (General) (last recorded 1995), Pygmy Whitefish (last recorded 1970), Cutthroat Trout (last recorded 1965), Mountain Whitefish (last recorded 1965), Sockeye Salmon, Salmon (General) (last recorded 1979), Chinook Salmon (last recorded 1965), Coho Salmon (last recorded 1965), Pink Salmon (last recorded 1965), Steelhead (last recorded 1965). Species from the province's fish observation records.
Which management unit is Babine Lake in?
Babine Lake is in MU 6-8, in the Skeena. The BC Freshwater Fishing Regulations Synopsis is organised by management unit; check it before you go.
Trout lakes near Babine Lake
- Big Loon Lake 12 km away
- Paul Lake 14 km away
- Doris Lake 38 km away
- Sunset Lake 39 km away
- Broman Lake 40 km away
All 183 lakes in the Skeena, with today's conditions on each.