Freshwater Fisheries Society of BC
In the Upper Fraser Valley, the angling community is blessed with many small lakes that are stocked by the Freshwater Fisheries Society of BC. With warmer winters over the past decade, anglers can often start fishing these gems by early February.
I recently had a chance to fish Hicks, one of several small lakes in Sasquatch Provincial Park near Harrison Hot Springs. Like most of the region’s lakes, Hicks contains small native rainbow trout, some coastal cutthroat, and kokanee. For the past six years, the Society has also stocked it with non-reproducing Fraser Valley rainbows. These fish are now reaching weights of 1.5 to two kilograms (three to four pounds), which is exceptional for coastal lakes.
The weather was cool but bearable when our group of three arrived at Hicks in early February. Slowly motoring out onto the lake, I kept a close watch on the fish finder, and started noticing fish near the bottom in about 45 feet of water.
Dropping bow-and stern-anchors to keep our boat from swinging around too much, we set up a typical bait-fishing rig for deep water: six to eight-foot ultra-light spinning rods, and matching reels loaded with 10-pound-test braided superline. We put a ¼-ounce slip sinker above a small barrel swivel, followed by 70 centimetres (two feet) of six-pound-test fluorocarbon leader. We then tied on a small #6 or #4 barbless hook, and baited it with a single chum salmon egg.
We cast our gear out, and let it sink to the bottom. For early-season fish, the best method I have found is to work my bait across the bottom with a “slow retrieve and stop.” In this technique, you must watch carefully. Most of the bites happen each time you stop reeling; any slight tightening of the line, and you must strike immediately. That day, the three of us landed lots of native rainbow to about a pound, several cutthroat to two pounds, kokanee to a half-pound, and many Fraser Valley rainbows from one to 3.5 pounds.
Other methods, like trolling wedding bands spinners with a worm or casting small weighted spinners, also work well. As the weather warms up, fly-fishing with chironomids and small leeches becomes very effective. Early in the season, you may have to search around to locate the schools of fish, but when you find them, the fishing can be very rewarding.
Hicks is just one of several great small lakes on the eastern and western sides of Harrison Lake. Hicks Lake has a day-use area, beautiful campground, and good concrete boat launch. Boats are restricted to no more than a 10-hp motor. The possession limits are four trout per day, and five kokanee per day. The lake’s wonderful early-season fishery is just getting started right now, and the fish at this time are prime eating.
Originally published here.