Doran Lake
MU 1-7, Vancouver Island
49.3186° N, 125.2831° W
- Surface area
- 67.3ha
- Maximum depth
- 32m
- 105 ft
- Elevation
- 670m
The lake is located 40 km (25 mi) west of Port Alberni via Highway 4 to a small logging road just past the west end of Sproat Lake. A 4X4 is recommended for the last 2 km of the access road.
Open Doran Lake in the appThe 7-day forecast, max depth and wildfire smoke check, on the lake's own coordinate.
Doran Lake at a glance
- Region
- Vancouver Island
- Management unit
- MU 1-7
- Species
- Rainbow Trout, Steelhead (last recorded 1995), Rainbow Smelt (last recorded 1977)The newest of these fish records is from 2018.Species from the province's fish observation records.
- Lake size
- Medium Lake (50 - 500 ha)
- Ice fishing
- No ice fishing closure on file
- Coordinates
- 49.3186, -125.2831
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Gear for rainbow trout
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Fish on record at Doran Lake
| Species | First recorded | Last recorded | Records |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rainbow Trout | 1960 | 2018 | 11 |
| Steelhead | 1982 | 1995 | 7 |
| Rainbow Smelt | 1977 | 1977 | 1 |
A year is when the Province last recorded the fish here, not a statement that it is caught today.
How to fish Doran Lake
Best times of year at Doran Lake
- May - June
- September - October
Doran Lake fishing regulations
We have no lake specific regulations on file for Doran Lake yet.
Getting to Doran Lake
Camping is permitted at nearby Sproat Lake. A car top boat launch is provided.
8.9 km of traced road to the shore. The road at the end is a rough surface. It stops 750 m short of the shore.
Coordinates: 49.3186, -125.2831
Depth chart for Doran Lake
32 mdeepest
Doran Lake runs to 32 m (105 ft) at its deepest.
The Province sounded Doran Lake and published the depth chart surveyed in 1978.
The ice year at Doran Lake, modelled
Modelled from air temperature, not an ice report. It says nothing about whether ice will hold you.
In the model Doran Lake froze in 65 of the 65 winters since 1960. Freeze-up falls most years between 20 November and 18 December, and ice-off between 15 April and 19 May. The median winter freezes on 2 December and opens on 4 May.
the middle half of modelled winters the median ice cover in the median winter
Winter 2024-25 in the model: frozen from 17 January 2025 to 19 April 2025, 92 days.
No ice fishing closure is recorded for Doran Lake, so the general regional regulations apply.
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.
Doran Lake climate, 1960 to 2025
Averaged over a year, the air above Doran Lake is 0.8 C warmer than it was in the 1960s. That is 66 years of daily readings, not a forecast.
- +0.8 Csince the 1960s
- 4.4 Caverage year now
- 3.6 Caverage year then
- -16 daysbelow freezing, change
each yearthe trend across 1960 to 2025
each yearthe trend across 1960 to 2025
This week at Doran 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 | Partly cloudy | 11° / 4° | 15 km/h | dry | Steady |
| Wed 21 Oct | Overcast | 12° / 6° | 10 km/h | dry | Falling (-4.9 hPa) |
| Thu 22 Oct | Overcast | 12° / 3° | 8 km/h | dry | Rising (+1.0 hPa) |
| Fri 23 Oct | Overcast | 11° / 1° | 5 km/h | dry | Rising (+10.2 hPa) |
| Sat 24 Oct | Overcast | 9° / 2° | 6 km/h | dry | Rising (+2.4 hPa) |
| Sun 25 Oct | Overcast | 13° / 3° | 6 km/h | dry | Falling (-1.5 hPa) |
| Mon 26 Oct | Overcast | 14° / 5° | 5 km/h | dry | Steady |
Doran Lake, in brief
What fish are in Doran Lake?
Rainbow Trout, Steelhead (last recorded 1995). Species from the province's fish observation records.
Which management unit is Doran Lake in?
Doran Lake is in MU 1-7, on Vancouver Island. The BC Freshwater Fishing Regulations Synopsis is organised by management unit; check it before you go.
Trout lakes near Doran Lake
- Great Central Lake 8 km away
- Lowry Lake 13 km away
- Toy Lake 15 km away
- Dickson Lake 17 km away
- Sproat Lake 17 km away
All 193 lakes on Vancouver Island, with today's conditions on each.