Stuart Lake
MU 7-25, Omineca
54.5500° N, 124.6000° W
- Surface area
- 35932.4ha
- Maximum depth
- 95m
- 312 ft
- Elevation
- 680m
Stuart Lake is a massive 66-kilometer-long waterway near historic Fort St. James. Connected to Trembleur and Takla Lakes, it forms one of the greatest wild salmon and char systems in North America, with trophy lake trout frequently exceeding 20 lbs.
Open Stuart Lake in the appThe 7-day forecast, max depth and wildfire smoke check, on the lake's own coordinate.
Trophy fish at Stuart Lake
Stuart Lake is known for trophy Lake trout to 25 lb.
- Lake trout to 25 lb
- Rainbow trout to 10 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.
Stuart Lake at a glance
- Region
- Omineca
- Management unit
- MU 7-25
- Species
- Lake Trout (last recorded 1950), Rainbow Trout (last recorded 1950), Kokanee, Burbot, Whitefish (General), Dolly Varden (last recorded 1995), Mountain Whitefish (last recorded 1995), Sockeye Salmon, Chinook Salmon (last recorded 1995), Sculpin (General), Longnose Sucker (last recorded 1970), Peamouth Chub (last recorded 1970)The newest of these fish records is from 2017.Species from the province's fish observation records.
- Lake size
- Large Water (> 500 ha)
- Ice fishing
- No ice fishing closure on file
- Coordinates
- 54.55, -124.6
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Gear for lake trout
Lines, leaders, lures and flies for lake trout, searched on Amazon.ca.
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Fish on record at Stuart Lake
| Species | First recorded | Last recorded | Records |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Trout | 1950 | 1950 | 1 |
| Rainbow Trout | 1950 | 1950 | 1 |
| Kokanee | 1995 | 2017 | 2 |
| Burbot | 2017 | 2017 | 1 |
| Whitefish (General) | 2017 | 2017 | 1 |
| Dolly Varden | 1995 | 1995 | 1 |
| Mountain Whitefish | 1995 | 1995 | 1 |
| Sockeye Salmon | 1995 | 2001 | 3 |
| Chinook Salmon | 1995 | 1995 | 1 |
| Sculpin (General) | 2017 | 2017 | 1 |
| Longnose Sucker | 1970 | 1970 | 1 |
| Peamouth Chub | 1970 | 1970 | 1 |
A year is when the Province last recorded the fish here, not a statement that it is caught today.
How to fish Stuart Lake
Downrigger trolling with Apex lures and Lyman wooden plugs near underwater reefs and points. Jigging large 1-2 oz white tube jigs and crippled herring over deep structure (60-100 ft) for lake trout.
Best times of year at Stuart Lake
- Summer (June-Aug)
- Fall (Sept-Oct)
Stuart Lake fishing regulations
We have no lake specific regulations on file for Stuart Lake yet.
Getting to Stuart Lake
Paved highway access via Hwy 27 from Vanderhoof to Fort St. James.
Coordinates: 54.55, -124.6
Camping and rec sites at Stuart Lake
- Paarens Beach Provincial Park
68 vehicle-accessible campsites, concrete boat ramp, sandy beach, playground
Facilities: Concrete Boat Launch, Vehicle Campsites, Sandy Beach, Pit Toilets, Playground
Access: Paved Sowchea Rd (2WD) - Sowchea Bay Provincial Park
30 vehicle-accessible campsites, concrete boat launch, dock, quiet bay
Facilities: Concrete Boat Launch, Dock, Vehicle Campsites, Pit Toilets
Access: Paved Sowchea Rd (2WD)
How deep Stuart Lake is
95 mdeepest
Stuart Lake runs to 95 m (312 ft) at its deepest.
The ice year at Stuart Lake, modelled
Modelled from air temperature, not an ice report. It says nothing about whether ice will hold you.
The model treats Stuart 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 65 of 65 winters since 1960.
No ice fishing closure is recorded for Stuart Lake, so the general regional regulations apply.
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.
Stuart Lake climate, 1960 to 2025
Averaged over a year, the air above Stuart 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
- 4.1 Caverage year now
- 3.1 Caverage year then
- -8 daysbelow freezing, change
each yearthe trend across 1960 to 2025
each yearthe trend across 1960 to 2025
This week at Stuart 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 | 9° / 2° | 12 km/h, gusts 24 | dry | Steady |
| Wed 21 Oct | Moderate drizzle | 8° / 5° | 10 km/h, gusts 19 | 3 mm | Falling (-8.2 hPa) |
| Thu 22 Oct | Overcast | 6° / 2° | 15 km/h, gusts 32 | dry | Rising (+6.7 hPa) |
| Fri 23 Oct | Overcast | 5° / 2° | 7 km/h, gusts 17 | dry | Rising (+10.9 hPa) |
| Sat 24 Oct | Partly cloudy | 6° / 1° | 7 km/h, gusts 15 | dry | Rising (+1.6 hPa) |
| Sun 25 Oct | Clear sky | 4° / 0° | 4 km/h, gusts 13 | dry | Rising (+5.4 hPa) |
| Mon 26 Oct | Overcast | 4° / 1° | 5 km/h, gusts 12 | dry | Falling (-3.6 hPa) |
Stuart Lake, in brief
What fish are in Stuart Lake?
Lake Trout (last recorded 1950), Rainbow Trout (last recorded 1950), Kokanee, Burbot, Whitefish (General), Dolly Varden (last recorded 1995), Mountain Whitefish (last recorded 1995), Sockeye Salmon, Chinook Salmon (last recorded 1995). Species from the province's fish observation records.
Which management unit is Stuart Lake in?
Stuart Lake is in MU 7-25, in the Omineca. The BC Freshwater Fishing Regulations Synopsis is organised by management unit; check it before you go.
Trout lakes near Stuart Lake
- Pinchi Lake 14 km away
- Ogston Lake 14 km away
- Grassham Lake 14 km away
- Camp Lake 15 km away
- Tezzeron Lake 20 km away
All 235 lakes in the Omineca, with today's conditions on each.