McDonell Lake
MU 6-4, Skeena
53.6758° N, 125.6453° W
- Surface area
- 21.9ha
- Maximum depth
- 8m
- 26 ft
- Elevation
- 882m
Open McDonell Lake in the appThe 7-day forecast, max depth and wildfire smoke check, on the lake's own coordinate.
McDonell Lake at a glance
- Region
- Skeena
- Management unit
- MU 6-4
- Species
- Rainbow Trout, Lake Trout, Bull Trout, Cutthroat Trout, Dolly VardenSpecies from our own lake research and angling reports.
- Lake size
- Small Water (< 50 ha)
- Ice fishing
- Open to ice fishing, confirmed
- Coordinates
- 53.6758, -125.6453
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Gear for rainbow trout
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How to fish McDonell Lake
Best times of year at McDonell Lake
- May - June
- September - October
McDonell Lake fishing regulations
We have no lake specific regulations on file for McDonell Lake yet.
Getting to McDonell Lake
30.5 km of traced road to the shore by way of St. Marys Pit Rd and Ootsa Lake Rd E. The road at the end is a loose surface. It stops 1390 m short of the shore.
Coordinates: 53.6758, -125.6453
Depth chart for McDonell Lake
8 mdeepest
McDonell Lake runs to 8 m (26 ft) at its deepest.
The Province sounded McDonell Lake and published the depth chart surveyed in 1978.
The ice year at McDonell Lake, modelled
Modelled from air temperature, not an ice report. It says nothing about whether ice will hold you.
In the model McDonell Lake froze in 65 of the 65 winters since 1960. Freeze-up falls most years between 4 November and 18 November, and ice-off between 6 May and 23 May. The median winter freezes on 10 November and opens on 15 May.
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 1 May 2025, 165 days.
McDonell 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.
McDonell Lake climate, 1960 to 2025
Averaged over a year, the air above McDonell Lake is 0.9 C warmer than it was in the 1960s. That is 66 years of daily readings, not a forecast.
- +0.9 Csince the 1960s
- 3.2 Caverage year now
- 2.4 Caverage year then
- -6 daysbelow freezing, change
each yearthe trend across 1960 to 2025
each yearthe trend across 1960 to 2025
This week at McDonell 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 | Overcast | 10° / -2° | 12 km/h, gusts 24 | dry | Steady |
| Wed 21 Oct | Light drizzle | 8° / 2° | 10 km/h, gusts 22 | 0 mm | Falling (-8.4 hPa) |
| Thu 22 Oct | Light drizzle | 6° / 0° | 9 km/h, gusts 28 | dry | Rising (+7.2 hPa) |
| Fri 23 Oct | Overcast | 5° / -2° | 4 km/h, gusts 11 | dry | Rising (+10.1 hPa) |
| Sat 24 Oct | Overcast | 6° / -1° | 11 km/h, gusts 29 | dry | Steady |
| Sun 25 Oct | Clear sky | 5° / -2° | 7 km/h, gusts 19 | dry | Rising (+5.4 hPa) |
| Mon 26 Oct | Overcast | 5° / -2° | 4 km/h, gusts 10 | dry | Falling (-3.7 hPa) |
McDonell Lake, in brief
What fish are in McDonell Lake?
Rainbow Trout, Lake Trout, Bull Trout, Cutthroat Trout, Dolly Varden. Species from our own lake research and angling reports.
How big is McDonell Lake?
McDonell Lake covers about 21.9 ha, by the province's Freshwater Atlas.
Which management unit is McDonell Lake in?
McDonell Lake is in MU 6-4, in the Skeena. The BC Freshwater Fishing Regulations Synopsis is organised by management unit; check it before you go.
Trout lakes near McDonell Lake
- Eye Lake 17 km away
- Ootsanee Lake 17 km away
- Getzuni Lake 20 km away
- Cheslatta Lake 20 km away
- Hewson Lake 20 km away
All 183 lakes in the Skeena, with today's conditions on each.