Cowichan Lake

Region

Vancouver Island

Management unit

MU 1-4

Species

Cutthroat Trout (last recorded 1992), Rainbow Trout (last recorded 1993), Dolly Varden (last recorded 1995), Kokanee, Smallmouth Bass (last recorded 1995), Brown Trout (last recorded 1993), Bull Trout (last recorded 1992), Anadromous Bull Trout (last recorded 1950), Cutthroat/Rainbow cross (last recorded 1932), Brook Trout (last recorded 1921), Coho Salmon, Steelhead (last recorded 1993), Chinook Salmon (last recorded 1993), Atlantic Salmon (last recorded 1934), Threespine Stickleback, Lake Lamprey, Western Brook Lamprey (last recorded 1995), Lamprey (General) (last recorded 1995), Brown Catfish (formerly Brown Bullhead) (last recorded 1993), Pacific Lamprey (last recorded 1993), Prickly Sculpin (last recorded 1993), Western Pearlshell Mussel (last recorded 1960)The newest of these fish records is from 2021.Species from the province's fish observation records.

Lake size

Large Water (> 500 ha)

Ice fishing

Open to ice fishing, confirmed

Coordinates

48.8747, -124.2597

A year is when the Province last recorded the fish here, not a statement that it is caught today.

Trolling bucktail flies, plugs, and spoons near river mouths and drop-offs; casting spinners along rocky points.

Best times of year at Cowichan Lake

• March - June
• September - November

Lake Cowichan townsite, multiple public concrete boat ramps, marinas, provincial parks.

3.4 km of traced road to the campground by way of Youbou Rd. The road at the end is a loose surface. It stops 90 m short of the campground.

Coordinates: 48.8747, -124.2597

Camping and rec sites at Cowichan Lake

• Pine Point Site

  Campsites

  60 designated

  To the shore

  107 m

  
  Access: From Duncan, head north on the Island Highway and turn west onto the Cowichan Valley Highway. After approx. 26 km, continue onto Youbou Road. Travel approx. 18 km on Youbou Road, through Youbou and on to the gravel. Pine Point Recreation Site is on the lake side of the road.
  Coordinates: 48.88799, -124.261227

  The site on Recreation Sites and Trails BC

160 mdeepest50.1 mmean

Cowichan Lake runs to 160 m (525 ft) at its deepest.

The mean of 50.1 m (164 ft) is read off the same chart, surveyed in June 1990.

The Province sounded Cowichan Lake and published the depth chart surveyed in 1990. It runs to 2 sheets.

• Depth chart 1 OF 2 (PDF)
• Depth chart 2 OF 2 (PDF)

Modelled from air temperature, not an ice report. It says nothing about whether ice will hold you.

The model treats Cowichan Lake as too large and deep to freeze over, so it gives no freeze-up or ice-off dates. On air temperature alone it would have frozen in 45 of 65 winters since 1960.

Cowichan 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.

Averaged over a year, the air above Cowichan Lake is 0.5 C warmer than it was in the 1960s. That is 66 years of daily readings, not a forecast.

• +0.5 Csince the 1960s
• 6.1 Caverage year now
• 5.6 Caverage year then
• -11 daysbelow freezing, change

Open Cowichan Lake in the app

• Cowichan Lake (Including Bear Lake) under 1 km away
• Bear Lake 12 km away
• Dimple Lake 23 km away
• Mayo Lake 24 km away
• Nanaimo Lakes 25 km away

All 193 lakes on Vancouver Island, with today's conditions on each.

• How the score works
• Depth, and where the trout are
• A year on a trout lake
• Fishing chironomids
• Reading a depth chart
• Trout and char of BC lakes
• Camping at rec site lakes
• Winterkill explained
• When the ice goes off