Rice Lake, North Vancouver
By Brian Chan
North Vancouver’s Rice Lake offers a unique "urban wilderness" fishing and outdoor experience. Located at the base of the North Shore mountains and accessed by a well-maintained and wheelchair accessible trail through a lush forest of Douglas Fir and Western Red Cedar, this placid, trout-filled, 7.2 hectare lake is perfect for introducing people of all ages to sport fishing.
The lake is stocked with catchable sized rainbow trout on a regular basis by FFSBC. A large fishing dock makes it easy to tempt passing trout with a variety of different baits and lures. There are also several access points along the lake trail that make ideal fishing spots.
Catching your first fish can be as simple as using a very inexpensive six foot long trout spinning rod and reel outfit and some basic tackle consisting of a bobber, a few sinkers, swivels, hooks, and bait. Popular and effective trout fishing baits include earthworms, a small piece of cooked shrimp, or artificial baits such as Berkley Powerbait or Gulp. The objective here is to use the bobber to suspend bait at different depths. Keep an eye on your bobber as it will bob up and down when a fish is biting or has been hooked. Adjust the distance between the bobber and sinker so that you can try a variety of depth zones.
Sometimes the trout feed very close to the lake bottom. In this situation, remove the bobber and cast out your line with a small sinker placed approximately 18 inches above the baited hook. Allow the sinker to lie on the lake bottom and watch for the pull on the line to signal a bite.
Once comfortable using the spinning reel you can try casting and retrieving a variety of spinners and spoons such as Panther Martins and Rooster Tails. Trout will strike at these lures as they flutter and spin while being retrieved through the water. These and other lures can be even more effective when a small piece of worm is threaded onto the hooks.
Fishing at Rice Lake can be good throughout the year but the real prime times are the spring months (March through May) and then again in the fall (September and October). Both of these time frames coincide with regular stockings of hungry trout. It only takes a few hours for you and your family to get some fresh air in the wilderness setting of Rice Lake. The trout are waiting to add to your outdoor experience.
Originally published here.