Trout fishing in Vancouver Island
Vancouver Island holds 138 of the 900 stillwaters on BC Trout Finder, the water most people mean when they search for trout fishing near Nanaimo. 2 of them are trophy class. Every one of them has a boat launch and a rec site or campground on the shore. Depths run from 1.5 m to 333 m.
Open Vancouver Island in the app
What is in Vancouver Island
- 138 lakes with verified depth, access and regulations
- 2 trophy class waters, fish in the 5 lb and up range
- All of them have a boat launch
- All of them have camping at a rec site or provincial park
- All of them open to ice fishing under the regulations on file
Best trophy trout lakes in Vancouver Island
- Cameron Lake 3 to 10+ lbs (Trophy Brown Trout & Cutthroat)
Spectacular deep lake carved between Mount Arrowsmith and Mount Wesley, holding rare monster Brown Trout and wild Rainbows. - Great Central Lake 3 to 8+ lbs (Wild Island Predator)
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.
Every lake we cover in Vancouver Island
- Cameron Lake Trophy Monster, 43 m
- Great Central Lake Trophy Monster, 333 m
- Amor Lake Medium Action, 20.4 m
- Anderson Lake Medium Action, 28.8 m
- Antler Lake Medium Action, 26.4 m
- Anutz Lake Large Quality, 41.5 m
- Atluck Lake Standard / High-Numbers, 77.4 m
- Bainbridge Lake Medium Action, 26.4 m
- Bear Lake Medium Action, 37.2 m
- Blackburn Lake Medium Action, 52.8 m
- Blackwater Lake Medium Action, 14.4 m
- Bonanza Lake Large Quality, 19.2 m
- Boot Lake Medium Action, 26.4 m
- Brannen Lake Large Quality, 20.4 m
- Buttle Lake Standard / High-Numbers, 120.7 m
- Chicadee Lake Medium Action, 50.4 m
- Claud Elliott Lake Large Quality, 38.4 m
- Clear Lake (Quadra Island) Medium Action, 14.4 m
- Comox Lake Large Quality, 109 m
- Cowichan Lake Large Quality, 152 m
- Cowichan Lake (Including Bear Lake) Medium Action, 22.1 m
- Crabapple Lake Standard / High-Numbers, 10.0 m
- Crane Lake Medium Action, 44.4 m
- Crescent Lake Medium Action, 25.2 m
- Crystal Lake Standard / High-Numbers, 11.0 m
- Cusheon Lake Medium Action, 33.6 m
- D Lake Medium Action, 16.6 m
- Dickson Lake Large Quality, 21.6 m
- Dimple Lake Medium Action, 13.2 m
- Diver Lake Medium Action, 22.8 m
- Donner Lake Medium Action, 26.4 m
- Doran Lake Large Quality, 32.0 m
- Dougan Lake Standard / High-Numbers, 22.0 m
- Drum Lakes Medium Action, 33.1 m
- Durrance Lake Medium Action, 21.6 m
- Echo Lake Standard / High-Numbers, 18 m
- Elk / Beaver Lake Medium / High-Action, 20 m
- Esary Lake Medium Action, 34.8 m
- Fairy Lake Large Quality, 5.0 m
- Farewell Lake Large Quality, 12.0 m
- Fickle Lake Large Quality, 39.6 m
- Flora Lake Standard / High-Numbers, 15.2 m
- Forbush Lake Large Quality, 38.4 m
- Fuller Lake Medium Action, 31.2 m
- Georgie Lake Standard / High-Numbers, 42.4 m
- Glen Lake Medium Action, 51.6 m
- Gold Lake Large Quality, 51.6 m
- Gosling Lake Standard / High-Numbers, 40.0 m
- Gracie Lake Large Quality, 42.7 m
- Graham Lake Medium Action, 42.0 m
- Gunflint Lake Medium Action, 44.4 m
- Hague Lake Medium Action, 45.6 m
- Harewood (Extension) Lake Medium Action, 18.8 m
- Hawarth Lake Medium Action, 26.4 m
- Healy Lake (Panther Lake) Standard / High-Numbers, 5.5 m
- Henry Lake Standard / High-Numbers, 18 m
- Higgens Lake Medium Action, 14.4 m
- Holden Lake Standard / High-Numbers, 6.5 m
- Holland Lake Medium Action, 52.8 m
- Horne Lake Standard / High-Numbers, 50.0 m
- Ida Lake Large Quality, 33.6 m
- Illusion Lakes Medium Action, 24.0 m
- Irving Lake Standard / High-Numbers, 18 m
- Jasper Lake Medium Action, 25.2 m
- June Lake Medium Action, 24.0 m
- Kakweiken Lake Medium Action, 18.0 m
- Kemp Lake Medium Action, 18.0 m
- Keogh Lake Large Quality, 43.3 m
- Langford Lake Standard / High-Numbers, 15 m
- Little Main Lake (Quadra Island) Medium Action, 21.0 m
- Lizard Pond Medium Action, 4.5 m
- Lois Lake Medium Action, 30.0 m
- Long Lake (Nanaimo) Medium Action, 18.8 m
- Lower Campbell Lake Large Quality, 75.6 m
- Lowry Lake Standard / High-Numbers, 11.0 m
- Maggie Lake Large Quality, 34.8 m
- Main Lake (Quadra Island) Medium Action, 16.6 m
- Maple Lake Medium Action, 51.6 m
- Martha Lake Medium Action, 15.6 m
- Matheson Lake Standard / High-Numbers, 5.0 m
- Maxwell Lake (Lake Maxwell) Medium Action, 36.4 m
- Mayo Lake Medium Action, 28.8 m
- Mccreight Lake Standard / High-Numbers, 55.0 m
- Mckay Lake Standard / High-Numbers, 8.0 m
- Mckenzie Lake Medium Action, 24.0 m
- Mcnair Lake Medium Action, 12.0 m
- Megin Lake Large Quality, 52.8 m
- Michael Lake Medium Action, 34.8 m
- Mine Lake Medium Action, 13.2 m
- Misty Lake Medium Action, 14.4 m
- Moat Lake Standard / High-Numbers, 84.0 m
- Morte Lake Medium Action, 38.4 m
- Muchalat Lake Standard / High-Numbers, 62.2 m
- Myra Lake Medium Action, 32.4 m
- Nahmint Lake Medium Trout, 26.4 m
- Nitinat Lake Medium Action, 36.0 m
- Nola Lake Medium Action, 14.4 m
- O’Connell Lake Large Quality, 36.4 m
- Panther Lake Medium Action, 30.0 m
- Perry Lake Large Quality, 51.6 m
- Prior Lake Medium Action, 44.4 m
- Prospect Lake Standard / High-Numbers, 13 m
- Quamichan Lake Large Quality, 7.9 m
- Quennell Lake Medium Action, 40.8 m
- Quinsam Lake Standard / High-Numbers, 21.6 m
- Regan Lake Medium Action, 49.2 m
- Reginald Lake Medium Action, 46.8 m
- Roberts Lake Large Quality, 48.0 m
- Rooney Lake Standard / High-Numbers, 22.0 m
- Roselle Lake Medium Action, 34.8 m
- Rosen Lake (Read Island) Medium Action, 21.0 m
- Rowbotham Lake Medium Action, 48.0 m
- Shawnigan Lake Medium / High-Action, 50 m
- Silver Lake Standard / High-Numbers, 1.5 m
- Snakehead Lake Standard / High-Numbers, 9.0 m
- Spectacle Lake Large Quality, 7.0 m
- Spider Lake Medium / High-Action, 11 m
- Sproat Lake Large Quality, 49.2 m
- St. Mary Lake Medium Trout, 16.8 m
- Stewart Lake Large Quality, 16.8 m
- Stocking Lake Medium Action, 38.4 m
- Stowell Lake (Lake Stowell) Medium Action, 16.6 m
- Stramberg Lake Medium Action, 33.6 m
- Tadjiss Lake Medium Action, 30.0 m
- Thetis Lake Medium Action, 39.6 m
- Tlools Lake Medium Action, 12.0 m
- Tlowils Lake Medium Action, 21.6 m
- Toquart Lake Large Quality, 24.0 m
- Toy Lake Medium Action, 46.8 m
- Tsable Lake Medium Action, 13.2 m
- Victoria Lake Large Quality, 18 m
- Village Bay Lake Medium Trout, 14.4 m
- Weston Lake Large Quality, 13.3 m
- Westwood Lake Medium Action, 27.6 m
- Willemar Lake Large Quality, 18.5 m
- Wolf Lake Standard / High-Numbers, 39.0 m
- Wowo Lake Medium Action, 13.2 m
- Zeballos Lake Medium Action, 31.2 m
Local shops and lodges
Other BC fishing regions
Data from the BC Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship, the BC Freshwater Fishing Regulations Synopsis, and Sites and Trails BC.