In early spring, quality fly-fishing opportunities on the Lower Mainland are actually quite limited. It is true, one can walk along miles of sloughs and backwaters in search of cutthroat, but a two- or three-fish day would be considered a good one. When working the creek mouths and shorelines of Pitt Lake, it is not uncommon to land over a dozen prime cutthroat, Dollies or rainbows on a single outing. From early March until the end of May the water is alive with salmon fry as they make their way down through the lake, heading for the ocean. The lake receives such an incredible number of fry due to the fact that the Upper Pitt River feeds the lake at the north end. The Upper Pitt River receives good numbers of coho, sockeye and springs each year, which help supply food to the many trout and char in the lake and river. The most productive area to find trout in the spring is around creeks mouths. The Upper Pitt River receives the majority of the salmon returns on the lake but it is not the only spawning ground for the returning fish. There are actually many creeks feeding the lake that get good returns of spawners coming back to lay their eggs.

Some of the best spring fishing I have experienced over the years has been only minutes from Grant Narrows and the main boat ramp. Heading up the lake on your right hand side are dozens of old log pilings from logging days past. Trout and char congregate in good numbers in this area of the lake – which is most active from tidal changes – waiting for fry and stickleback to get disoriented in the current. At first light, the calm surface comes to life as cutthroat slash through helpless balls of salmon fry. If you time it right, slack tide is the most productive time to fish as the fry can swim around freely without being pushed toward shore from the current. It’s not overly difficult to find the feeding trout, which will show continually if they are dialed into the salmon fry. Pitt Lake has an abundant supply of stickleback inhabiting its waters, so all is not lost once the fry migration has subsided for the year. These small bait fish are always hiding near some form of structure, so you’re sure to find them hanging out around the pilings.

While heading up the 7,700-hectare lake, pay close attention to the channel markers, they are not just there to look pretty. This lake is known for its large sandbars, which take their toll on boaters’ propellers each year. There are dozens of deadheads hung up in the shallow water, which can make cutting on the inside of the channel markers suicide. The large sandbar at the start of the lake comprises sediment deposited from tidal movement spanning thousands of years. Once past the sandbars and markers, the lake is safe to navigate and it is literally clear sailing.

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