Great Central Lake
MU 1-7, Vancouver Island
49.3696° N, 125.1963° W
- Surface area
- 5100ha
- Maximum depth
- 250m
- 820 ft
- Elevation
- 82m
Spanning 45 km into the heart of the Vancouver Island mountain spine near Strathcona Provincial Park, Great Central Lake plunges 333 meters deep. Its pristine waters hold large predatory coastal cutthroat trout and wild rainbows.
Open Great Central Lake in the appThe 7-day forecast, max depth and wildfire smoke check, on the lake's own coordinate.
Trophy fish at Great Central Lake
Great Central Lake is known for trophy Rainbow trout to 8 lb.
- Cutthroat trout to 6 lb
- Rainbow trout to 8 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.
Great Central Lake at a glance
- Region
- Vancouver Island
- Management unit
- MU 1-7
- Species
- Coastal Cutthroat Trout, Rainbow Trout, Kokanee (last recorded 1995), Dolly Varden (last recorded 1995), Sockeye Salmon, Coho Salmon, Steelhead, Chinook Salmon (last recorded 1987), Chum Salmon (last recorded 1975), Pink Salmon (last recorded 1975), Atlantic Salmon (last recorded 1924), Threespine Stickleback, Sculpin (General) (last recorded 1995), Lamprey (General) (last recorded 1969), Pumpkinseed (last recorded 1969), River Lamprey (last recorded 1969)The newest of these fish records is from 2018.Species from the province's fish observation records.
- Lake size
- Large Water (> 500 ha)
- Ice fishing
- Open to ice fishing, confirmed
- Coordinates
- 49.369635, -125.196349
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Gear for rainbow trout
Lines, leaders, lures and flies for rainbow trout, searched on Amazon.ca.
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Fish on record at Great Central Lake
| Species | First recorded | Last recorded | Records |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rainbow Trout | 1923 | 2018 | 30 |
| Kokanee | 1955 | 1995 | 3 |
| Dolly Varden | 1969 | 1995 | 3 |
| Sockeye Salmon | 1969 | 2001 | 7 |
| Coho Salmon | 1969 | 2018 | 6 |
| Steelhead | 1969 | 2001 | 13 |
| Chinook Salmon | 1969 | 1987 | 4 |
| Chum Salmon | 1969 | 1975 | 2 |
| Pink Salmon | 1969 | 1975 | 2 |
| Atlantic Salmon | 1923 | 1924 | 2 |
| Threespine Stickleback | 1969 | 2018 | 5 |
| Sculpin (General) | 1969 | 1995 | 3 |
| Lamprey (General) | 1969 | 1969 | 1 |
| Pumpkinseed | 1969 | 1969 | 1 |
| River Lamprey | 1969 | 1969 | 1 |
A year is when the Province last recorded the fish here, not a statement that it is caught today.
How to fish Great Central Lake
Troll downriggers 35-75 ft deep with Apex 3.0/4.0 spoons, Tomic plugs, and small flashers with minnow patterns. Cast streamers and floating lines near the Drinkwater and river inlets in spring.
Best times of year at Great Central Lake
- Spring (April-June)
- Fall (Sept-Nov)
Great Central Lake fishing regulations
No Fishing Jan 1-Apr 30, from the dam to fishing boundary signs approximately 50 m upstream (southwest) of the Ash Main Bridge; Single barbless hook, no wild rainbow trout over 50 cm. Source: Province of British Columbia
Getting to Great Central Lake
Paved and gravel road access via Great Central Lake Road from Port Alberni.
Coordinates: 49.369635, -125.196349
Camping and rec sites at Great Central Lake
- Great Central Lake Marina / Ark Resort
Resort & marina camping with concrete boat ramp
Facilities: Boat Ramp, Marina, Campground, Toilets
Access: Paved / Good Gravel 2WD
How deep Great Central Lake is
250 mdeepest
Great Central Lake runs to 250 m (820 ft) at its deepest.
The ice year at Great Central Lake, modelled
Modelled from air temperature, not an ice report. It says nothing about whether ice will hold you.
The model treats Great Central 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 41 of 65 winters since 1960.
Great Central 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.
Great Central Lake climate, 1960 to 2025
Averaged over a year, the air above Great Central 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 Great Central 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 | 18° / 4° | 9 km/h | dry | Steady |
| Wed 21 Oct | Overcast | 18° / 9° | 8 km/h | dry | Falling (-5.1 hPa) |
| Thu 22 Oct | Overcast | 15° / 6° | 7 km/h | dry | Rising (+1.0 hPa) |
| Fri 23 Oct | Overcast | 15° / 4° | 5 km/h | dry | Rising (+10.2 hPa) |
| Sat 24 Oct | Overcast | 13° / 5° | 5 km/h | dry | Rising (+2.4 hPa) |
| Sun 25 Oct | Overcast | 17° / 6° | 5 km/h | dry | Falling (-1.5 hPa) |
| Mon 26 Oct | Overcast | 18° / 8° | 6 km/h | dry | Steady |
Great Central Lake, in brief
What fish are in Great Central Lake?
Coastal Cutthroat Trout, Rainbow Trout, Kokanee (last recorded 1995), Dolly Varden (last recorded 1995), Sockeye Salmon, Coho Salmon, Steelhead, Chinook Salmon (last recorded 1987), Chum Salmon (last recorded 1975), Pink Salmon (last recorded 1975), Atlantic Salmon (last recorded 1924). Species from the province's fish observation records.
Which management unit is Great Central Lake in?
Great Central 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 Great Central Lake
- Lowry Lake 5 km away
- Doran Lake 8 km away
- Dickson Lake 9 km away
- Toy Lake 11 km away
- June Lake 13 km away
All 193 lakes on Vancouver Island, with today's conditions on each.