Fishing in British Columbia

PiscaMaps covers 7,813 public fishing venues across British Columbia in 9 regions — 5,832 lakes and reservoirs and 1,974 rivers. The largest is Williston Lake, at 422,747 acres. Fraser River is the longest mapped river, running 739 km. Region 6 (Skeena) has the most venues on file, with 1,170.

The most commonly recorded species across British Columbia's public waters are Rainbow Trout, Kokanee, Coho Salmon, Cutthroat Trout, Dolly Varden, Walleye, Smallmouth Bass and Lake Trout — the exact mix varies by water type and region. 337 venues have a real boat ramp on file, 1,045 have nearby camping, and 171 have mapped parking — sourced from OpenStreetMap and, where available, Water Survey of Canada gauge data.

Regions in British Columbia

British Columbia's public fishing venues are spread across 9 regions on PiscaMaps:

Region 6 (Skeena) · 1,170 Region 1 (Vancouver Island) · 1,061 Region 5 (Cariboo) · 945 Region 3 (Thompson) · 832 Region 7 (Omineca) · 811 Region 4 (Kootenay) · 795 Region 2 (Lower Mainland) · 743 Region 8 (Okanagan) · 452 Region 9 (Peace) · 323

Species Recorded in British Columbia

The most frequently recorded species across British Columbia's public venues on PiscaMaps:

Rainbow Trout · 6,669 Kokanee · 6,669 Coho Salmon · 4,519 Cutthroat Trout · 3,367 Dolly Varden · 3,367 Walleye · 3,302 Smallmouth Bass · 3,302 Lake Trout · 2,465 Chinook Salmon · 1,152 Steelhead · 1,152

Fishing Licence in British Columbia

BC's licensing has three stacked layers: (1) a Basic Freshwater Licence required for everyone 16+ (resident annual C$41.15; non-resident Canadian annual C$62.87; non-resident alien annual C$91.44); (2) species/activity stamps on top for salmon, steelhead, or white sturgeon on specific waters; (3) an additional Classified Waters Licence required on BC's officially Classified Trout Streams -- residents get one annual licence covering both classes (C$17.15/yr), but non-residents have no annual option and must buy day licences (Class I C$45.72/day, Class II C$22.86/day, each capped at 8 consecutive days). Resident Indigenous peoples under the Indian Act do not need a licence for non-tidal waters.

Full access to public fishing venues in British Columbia

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Frequently Asked Questions

How many public fishing venues are there in British Columbia?+

PiscaMaps covers 7,813 public fishing venues across British Columbia in 9 regions — 5,832 lakes and reservoirs and 1,974 rivers. The largest is Williston Lake, at 422,747 acres. Fraser River is the longest mapped river, running 739 km. Region 6 (Skeena) has the most venues on file, with 1,170.
Do I need a fishing licence in British Columbia?+

BC's licensing has three stacked layers: (1) a Basic Freshwater Licence required for everyone 16+ (resident annual C$41.15; non-resident Canadian annual C$62.87; non-resident alien annual C$91.44); (2) species/activity stamps on top for salmon, steelhead, or white sturgeon on specific waters; (3) an additional Classified Waters Licence required on BC's officially Classified Trout Streams -- residents get one annual licence covering both classes (C$17.15/yr), but non-residents have no annual option and must buy day licences (Class I C$45.72/day, Class II C$22.86/day, each capped at 8 consecutive days). Resident Indigenous peoples under the Indian Act do not need a licence for non-tidal waters.
Are there boat ramps and camping near British Columbia's fishing lakes?+

337 venues have a mapped boat ramp and 1,045 have nearby camping on PiscaMaps, sourced from OpenStreetMap.