Mcnair Lake
MU 1-10, Vancouver Island
50.2253° N, 125.5767° W
- Surface area
- 19.8ha
- Elevation
- 188m
- Campsites
- 2
- At Mcnair Lake rec site
Open Mcnair Lake in the appThe 7-day forecast, max depth and wildfire smoke check, on the lake's own coordinate.
Mcnair Lake at a glance
- Region
- Vancouver Island
- Management unit
- MU 1-10
- Species
- Coastal Cutthroat Trout, Threespine Stickleback, Prickly SculpinThe newest of these fish records is from 2015.Species from the province's fish observation records.
- Lake size
- Small Water (< 50 ha)
- Ice fishing
- Open to ice fishing, confirmed
- Coordinates
- 50.2253, -125.5767
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Gear for coastal cutthroat trout
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Fish on record at Mcnair Lake
| Species | First recorded | Last recorded | Records |
|---|---|---|---|
| Threespine Stickleback | 1997 | 2015 | 7 |
| Prickly Sculpin | 1997 | 2015 | 4 |
A year is when the Province last recorded the fish here, not a statement that it is caught today.
How to fish Mcnair Lake
Best times of year at Mcnair Lake
- May - June
- September - October
Mcnair Lake fishing regulations
Trout catch and release; bait ban, single barbless hook. Source: Province of British Columbia
Getting to Mcnair Lake
1.3 km of traced road to the campground by way of MCN019 FSR. The road at the end is a rough surface. It stops 200 m short of the campground.
Coordinates: 50.2253, -125.5767
Camping and rec sites at Mcnair Lake
- Mcnair Lake
- Campsites
- 2 designated
- To the shore
- 17 m
Access: From Campbell River, head north on Highway 19 for 33kms. At the end of Roberts Lake, just past the rest area, turn left on to the McNair Lake Forest Service Road. Stay on the main road and after the bridge veer left and follow the road until you see the parking lot. Walk in 500m to access the lake and Recreation Site.
Coordinates: 50.228129, -125.575577
The ice year at Mcnair Lake, modelled
Modelled from air temperature, not an ice report. It says nothing about whether ice will hold you.
In the model Mcnair Lake froze in 61 of the 65 winters since 1960. Freeze-up falls most years between 30 November and 9 January, and ice-off between 3 February and 5 April. The median winter freezes on 13 December and opens on 3 March.
the middle half of modelled winters the median ice cover in the median winter
Winter 2024-25 in the model: frozen from 1 February 2025 to 25 February 2025, 24 days.
Mcnair 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.
Mcnair Lake climate, 1960 to 2025
Averaged over a year, the air above Mcnair Lake is 1.0 C warmer than it was in the 1960s. That is 66 years of daily readings, not a forecast.
- +1.0 Csince the 1960s
- 5.6 Caverage year now
- 4.5 Caverage year then
- -29 daysbelow freezing, change
each yearthe trend across 1960 to 2025
each yearthe trend across 1960 to 2025
This week at Mcnair 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 | 16° / 4° | 8 km/h, gusts 24 | dry | Steady |
| Wed 21 Oct | Overcast | 15° / 4° | 5 km/h, gusts 17 | dry | Falling (-6.3 hPa) |
| Thu 22 Oct | Light drizzle | 12° / 3° | 17 km/h, gusts 59 | dry | Rising (+3.9 hPa) |
| Fri 23 Oct | Light drizzle | 12° / 2° | 9 km/h, gusts 35 | dry | Rising (+8.9 hPa) |
| Sat 24 Oct | Slight rain | 7° / 4° | 6 km/h, gusts 22 | 26 mm | Falling (-1.1 hPa) |
| Sun 25 Oct | Overcast | 16° / 3° | 2 km/h, gusts 16 | dry | Falling (-2.7 hPa) |
| Mon 26 Oct | Overcast | 15° / 5° | 5 km/h, gusts 37 | dry | Steady |
Mcnair Lake, in brief
What fish are in Mcnair Lake?
Coastal Cutthroat Trout. Species from the province's fish observation records.
Which management unit is Mcnair Lake in?
Mcnair Lake is in MU 1-10, on Vancouver Island. The BC Freshwater Fishing Regulations Synopsis is organised by management unit; check it before you go.
Trout lakes near Mcnair Lake
- Roberts Lake 2 km away
- Cedar Lake 3 km away
- Farewell Lake 3 km away
- Muskeg Lake 3 km away
- Blackwater Lake 6 km away
All 193 lakes on Vancouver Island, with today's conditions on each.