Gatcho Lake
MU 6-1, Skeena
52.9647° N, 125.7039° W
- Surface area
- 238.2ha
- Maximum depth
- 11m
- 36 ft. Province survey, 1978
- Elevation
- 1,066m
Open Gatcho Lake in the appThe 7-day forecast, max depth and wildfire smoke check, on the lake's own coordinate.
Gatcho Lake at a glance
- Region
- Skeena
- Management unit
- MU 6-1
- Species
- Rainbow Trout (last recorded 1977), Lake Chub (last recorded 1977), Largescale Sucker (last recorded 1977), Longnose Sucker (last recorded 1977), Northern Pikeminnow (last recorded 1977), Prickly Sculpin (last recorded 1977)The newest of these fish records is from 1977.Species from the province's fish observation records.
- Lake size
- Medium Lake (50 - 500 ha)
- Ice fishing
- Open to ice fishing, confirmed
- Coordinates
- 52.9647, -125.7039
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Fish on record at Gatcho Lake
| Species | First recorded | Last recorded | Records |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rainbow Trout | 1977 | 1977 | 1 |
| Lake Chub | 1977 | 1977 | 1 |
| Largescale Sucker | 1977 | 1977 | 1 |
| Longnose Sucker | 1977 | 1977 | 1 |
| Northern Pikeminnow | 1977 | 1977 | 1 |
| Prickly Sculpin | 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 Gatcho Lake
Best times of year at Gatcho Lake
- May - June
- September - October
Gatcho Lake fishing regulations
Trout daily quota = 2; bait ban, single barbless hook. Source: Province of British Columbia
Getting to Gatcho Lake
Coordinates: 52.9647, -125.7039
Depth chart for Gatcho Lake
11 mdeepest5.7 mmean
Gatcho Lake runs to 11 m (36 ft) at its deepest, by the Province survey, 1978.
The mean of 5.7 m (19 ft) is read off the same chart, surveyed in May 1978.
The Province sounded Gatcho Lake and published the depth chart surveyed in 1978.
The ice year at Gatcho Lake, modelled
Modelled from air temperature, not an ice report. It says nothing about whether ice will hold you.
In the model Gatcho Lake froze in 65 of the 65 winters since 1960. Freeze-up falls most years between 25 October and 8 November, and ice-off between 18 May and 10 June. The median winter freezes on 2 November and opens on 1 June.
the middle half of modelled winters the median ice cover in the median winter
Winter 2024-25 in the model: frozen from 17 November 2024 to 4 May 2025, 168 days.
Gatcho 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.
Gatcho Lake climate, 1960 to 2025
Averaged over a year, the air above Gatcho Lake is 1.4 C warmer than it was in the 1960s. That is 66 years of daily readings, not a forecast.
- +1.4 Csince the 1960s
- 2.2 Caverage year now
- 0.8 Caverage year then
- -16 daysbelow freezing, change
each yearthe trend across 1960 to 2025
each yearthe trend across 1960 to 2025
This week at Gatcho 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wed 21 Oct | Overcast | 7° / 0° | 16 km/h | dry | Steady |
| Thu 22 Oct | Slight rain showers | 5° / -3° | 12 km/h, gusts 19 | dry | Rising (+7.2 hPa) |
| Fri 23 Oct | Fog | 6° / -4° | 11 km/h, gusts 16 | dry | Rising (+8.1 hPa) |
| Sat 24 Oct | Overcast | 5° / -2° | 18 km/h, gusts 56 | dry | Falling (-3.0 hPa) |
| Sun 25 Oct | Clear sky | 6° / -4° | 12 km/h, gusts 31 | dry | Rising (+3.2 hPa) |
| Mon 26 Oct | Partly cloudy | 7° / -3° | 7 km/h, gusts 13 | dry | Falling (-4.9 hPa) |
| Tue 27 Oct | Partly cloudy | 7° / -3° | 2 km/h, gusts 29 | dry | Rising (+2.6 hPa) |
Gatcho Lake, in brief
What fish are in Gatcho Lake?
Rainbow Trout (last recorded 1977). Species from the province's fish observation records.
Which management unit is Gatcho Lake in?
Gatcho Lake is in MU 6-1, in the Skeena. The BC Freshwater Fishing Regulations Synopsis is organised by management unit; check it before you go.
Trout lakes near Gatcho Lake
- Basalt Lake 14 km away
- Eliguk Lake 17 km away
- Tilgatgo Lake 18 km away
- Rainbow Lake 20 km away
- Pettry Lake 21 km away
All 183 lakes in the Skeena, with today's conditions on each.