Brannen Lake
MU 1-5, Vancouver Island
49.2139° N, 124.0553° W
- Surface area
- 109.1ha
- Maximum depth
- 21m
- 69 ft
- Elevation
- 78m
10 km (6 mi) northwest of Nanaimo city centre. Follow Metral Drive to Godfrey Road and posted signs to the lake.
Open Brannen Lake in the appThe 7-day forecast, max depth and wildfire smoke check, on the lake's own coordinate.
Trophy fish at Brannen Lake
Brannen Lake is known for trophy Cutthroat trout to 6.6 lb.
- Cutthroat trout to 6.6 lb
- Rainbow trout to 6.6 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.
Brannen Lake at a glance
- Region
- Vancouver Island
- Management unit
- MU 1-5
- Species
- Cutthroat Trout, Coastal Cutthroat Trout, Rainbow Trout, Kokanee (last recorded 1993), Smallmouth Bass (last recorded 1993), Coho Salmon, Pumpkinseed, Stickleback (General), Sculpin (General), Threespine Stickleback, Pacific Lamprey (last recorded 1993), Prickly Sculpin (last recorded 1959)The newest of these fish records is from 2026.Species from the province's fish observation records.
- Lake size
- Medium Lake (50 - 500 ha)
- Ice fishing
- Open to ice fishing, confirmed
- Coordinates
- 49.2139, -124.0553
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Gear for cutthroat trout
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Fish on record at Brannen Lake
| Species | First recorded | Last recorded | Records |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cutthroat Trout | 1918 | 1997 | 19 |
| Coastal Cutthroat Trout | 2017 | 2017 | 4 |
| Rainbow Trout | 1946 | 2026 | 68 |
| Kokanee | 1959 | 1993 | 3 |
| Smallmouth Bass | 1993 | 1993 | 1 |
| Coho Salmon | 1993 | 2017 | 3 |
| Pumpkinseed | 2017 | 2021 | 10 |
| Stickleback (General) | 2020 | 2021 | 8 |
| Sculpin (General) | 2020 | 2021 | 5 |
| Threespine Stickleback | 1993 | 2017 | 5 |
| Pacific Lamprey | 1993 | 1993 | 1 |
| Prickly Sculpin | 1959 | 1959 | 1 |
A year is when the Province last recorded the fish here, not a statement that it is caught today.
How to fish Brannen Lake
Best times of year at Brannen Lake
- May - June
- September - October
Brannen Lake fishing regulations
Speed restriction on parts (60 km/h). Source: Province of British Columbia
Getting to Brannen Lake
Accomadation and other facilities are available in nearby Nanaimo. A boat launch is provided at the lake.
0.4 km of traced road to the shore by way of Dunster Rd. The road at the end is a paved surface. It stops 410 m short of the shore.
Coordinates: 49.2139, -124.0553
Depth chart for Brannen Lake
21 mdeepest
Brannen Lake runs to 21 m (69 ft) at its deepest.
The Province sounded Brannen Lake and published the depth chart surveyed in 1979.
The ice year at Brannen Lake, modelled
Modelled from air temperature, not an ice report. It says nothing about whether ice will hold you.
In the model Brannen Lake froze in 37 of the 65 winters since 1960. Freeze-up falls most years between 18 December and 11 January, and ice-off between 7 January and 28 January. The median winter freezes on 30 December and opens on 16 January.
the middle half of modelled winters the median ice cover in the median winter
Winter 2024-25 in the model: frozen from 2 February 2025 to 19 February 2025, 17 days.
Brannen 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.
Brannen Lake climate, 1960 to 2025
Averaged over a year, the air above Brannen Lake is 0.7 C warmer than it was in the 1960s. That is 66 years of daily readings, not a forecast.
- +0.7 Csince the 1960s
- 10.8 Caverage year now
- 10.1 Caverage year then
- -5 daysbelow freezing, change
each yearthe trend across 1960 to 2025
each yearthe trend across 1960 to 2025
This week at Brannen 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 | Clear sky | 16° / 7° | 17 km/h, gusts 34 | dry | Steady |
| Wed 21 Oct | Overcast | 16° / 10° | 15 km/h, gusts 28 | dry | Falling (-5.7 hPa) |
| Thu 22 Oct | Overcast | 12° / 7° | 27 km/h, gusts 38 | dry | Rising (+1.2 hPa) |
| Fri 23 Oct | Mainly clear | 10° / 6° | 21 km/h | dry | Rising (+10.1 hPa) |
| Sat 24 Oct | Overcast | 10° / 5° | 15 km/h | dry | Rising (+2.7 hPa) |
| Sun 25 Oct | Overcast | 12° / 7° | 13 km/h | dry | Falling (-1.3 hPa) |
| Mon 26 Oct | Overcast | 12° / 7° | 9 km/h | dry | Falling (-1.1 hPa) |
Brannen Lake, in brief
What fish are in Brannen Lake?
Cutthroat Trout, Coastal Cutthroat Trout, Rainbow Trout, Kokanee (last recorded 1993), Smallmouth Bass (last recorded 1993), Coho Salmon. Species from the province's fish observation records.
Which management unit is Brannen Lake in?
Brannen Lake is in MU 1-5, on Vancouver Island. The BC Freshwater Fishing Regulations Synopsis is organised by management unit; check it before you go.
Trout lakes near Brannen Lake
- Diver Lake 3 km away
- Westwood Lake 7 km away
- Nanaimo Lakes 15 km away
- Harewood (Extension) Lake 16 km away
- Nanaimo Lakes 18 km away
All 193 lakes on Vancouver Island, with today's conditions on each.