Shawnigan Lake
MU 1-2, Vancouver Island
48.6314° N, 123.6403° W
- Surface area
- 541.1ha
- Maximum depth
- 52m
- 171 ft
- Elevation
- 115m
Vibrant South Island lake known for strong spring trout hatches and lively summer multi-species action.
Open Shawnigan Lake in the appThe 7-day forecast, max depth and wildfire smoke check, on the lake's own coordinate.
Trophy fish at Shawnigan Lake
Shawnigan Lake is known for trophy Smallmouth bass to 5 lb.
- Smallmouth bass to 5 lb
- Cutthroat trout to 4 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.
Shawnigan Lake at a glance
- Region
- Vancouver Island
- Management unit
- MU 1-2
- Species
- Smallmouth Bass, Cutthroat Trout, Rainbow Trout, Yellow Perch, Kokanee, Brook Trout (last recorded 1916), Dolly Varden (last recorded 1903), Lake Whitefish (last recorded 1896), Coho Salmon, Pink Salmon, Atlantic Salmon (last recorded 1905), Brown Catfish (formerly Brown Bullhead), Pumpkinseed, Sculpin (General), Black Catfish (formerly Black Bullhead), Prickly Sculpin, Threespine Stickleback (last recorded 1984), Bullhead (General) (last recorded 1950)The newest of these fish records is from 2026.Species from the province's fish observation records.
- Lake size
- Large Water (> 500 ha)
- Ice fishing
- Open to ice fishing, confirmed
- Coordinates
- 48.6314, -123.6403
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Gear for smallmouth bass
Lines, leaders, lures and flies for smallmouth bass, searched on Amazon.ca.
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Fish on record at Shawnigan Lake
| Species | First recorded | Last recorded | Records |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smallmouth Bass | 2001 | 2022 | 15 |
| Cutthroat Trout | 1919 | 2020 | 69 |
| Rainbow Trout | 1903 | 2026 | 248 |
| Yellow Perch | 2001 | 2022 | 23 |
| Kokanee | 1950 | 2022 | 15 |
| Brook Trout | 1908 | 1916 | 3 |
| Dolly Varden | 1903 | 1903 | 1 |
| Lake Whitefish | 1896 | 1896 | 1 |
| Coho Salmon | 1950 | 2020 | 5 |
| Pink Salmon | 2007 | 2007 | 1 |
| Atlantic Salmon | 1905 | 1905 | 1 |
| Brown Catfish (formerly Brown Bullhead) | 1950 | 2022 | 10 |
| Pumpkinseed | 2003 | 2022 | 6 |
| Sculpin (General) | 2015 | 2016 | 2 |
| Black Catfish (formerly Black Bullhead) | 2007 | 2007 | 1 |
| Prickly Sculpin | 1950 | 2003 | 4 |
| Threespine Stickleback | 1984 | 1984 | 1 |
| Bullhead (General) | 1950 | 1950 | 1 |
A year is when the Province last recorded the fish here, not a statement that it is caught today.
How to fish Shawnigan Lake
Trolling spoons, apex lures, casting flies along weed beds and rocky points.
Best times of year at Shawnigan Lake
- March - June
- September - November
Shawnigan Lake fishing regulations
Smallmouth bass daily quota = 4; Speed restrictions on parts (8 and 65 km/h). Source: Province of British Columbia
Getting to Shawnigan Lake
Shawnigan Lake village. Public boat launch at West Shawnigan Lake Prov. Park and marina.
0.2 km of traced road to the shore. The road at the end is a paved surface. It stops 360 m short of the shore.
Coordinates: 48.6314, -123.6403
Camping and rec sites at Shawnigan Lake
- West Shawnigan Lake Provincial Park
Day-use provincial park, sandy swimming beach, picnic tables, cartop launch (No power boats, no overnight camping)
Facilities: Cartop Launch, Sandy Beach, Picnic Tables, Pit Toilets, Trails
Access: Paved West Shawnigan Lake Rd (2WD)
Depth chart for Shawnigan Lake
52 mdeepest12 mmean
Shawnigan Lake runs to 52 m (171 ft) at its deepest.
The mean of 12 m (39 ft) is read off the same chart, surveyed in October 1969.
The Province sounded Shawnigan Lake and published the depth chart surveyed in 1969. It runs to 2 sheets.
The ice year at Shawnigan Lake, modelled
Modelled from air temperature, not an ice report. It says nothing about whether ice will hold you.
In the model Shawnigan Lake froze in 49 of the 65 winters since 1960. Freeze-up falls most years between 16 December and 11 January, and ice-off between 10 January and 12 February. The median winter freezes on 28 December and opens on 21 January.
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 21 February 2025, 35 days.
Shawnigan 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.
Shawnigan Lake climate, 1960 to 2025
Averaged over a year, the air above Shawnigan Lake is 0.5 C warmer than it was in the 1960s. That is 66 years of daily readings, not a forecast.
- +0.5 Csince the 1960s
- 10.3 Caverage year now
- 9.8 Caverage year then
- -7 daysbelow freezing, change
each yearthe trend across 1960 to 2025
each yearthe trend across 1960 to 2025
This week at Shawnigan 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 | 16° / 4° | 11 km/h, gusts 20 | dry | Steady |
| Wed 21 Oct | Overcast | 19° / 9° | 12 km/h | dry | Falling (-5.3 hPa) |
| Thu 22 Oct | Overcast | 14° / 8° | 10 km/h | dry | Steady |
| Fri 23 Oct | Overcast | 14° / 5° | 8 km/h | dry | Rising (+10.3 hPa) |
| Sat 24 Oct | Overcast | 13° / 4° | 7 km/h | dry | Rising (+2.3 hPa) |
| Sun 25 Oct | Overcast | 15° / 6° | 8 km/h | dry | Falling (-1.5 hPa) |
| Mon 26 Oct | Overcast | 16° / 7° | 6 km/h | dry | Steady |
Shawnigan Lake, in brief
What fish are in Shawnigan Lake?
Smallmouth Bass, Cutthroat Trout, Rainbow Trout, Yellow Perch, Kokanee, Brook Trout (last recorded 1916), Dolly Varden (last recorded 1903), Lake Whitefish (last recorded 1896), Coho Salmon, Pink Salmon, Atlantic Salmon (last recorded 1905). Species from the province's fish observation records.
Which management unit is Shawnigan Lake in?
Shawnigan Lake is in MU 1-2, on Vancouver Island. The BC Freshwater Fishing Regulations Synopsis is organised by management unit; check it before you go.
Trout lakes near Shawnigan Lake
- Spectacle Lake 8 km away
- Dougan Lake 9 km away
- Lois Lake 14 km away
- Durrance Lake 15 km away
- Tadjiss Lake 18 km away
All 193 lakes on Vancouver Island, with today's conditions on each.