Nitnat Lake?

Chovy1

Member
Making a trip down island to visit family. Was wanting to get my old man out for a day fishing. First time out since major heart surgery. Was wondering if the fish are in at Nitnat yet. Have never fished there. I'm aware that it is a cut plug show and most of the fishing is around the narrows from what I've been told. Also wondering about where to launch? Any info would be greatly appreciated. If you don't want to post on the forum a pm would be awesome.
Thanks, Chovy1
 
You want to go there with someone you knows the area. Not the safest place to boat if you do not know the nitnat bar.
 
Go to Port Renfrew and fish East Point. Places to stay, good ramp, nice marina, good fishing. I have a 23' Grady and years back almost flipped from a rogue wave at Nitnat mouth. Fishing was very good there back then. They do not have the net pins just inside the lake anymore and fishing is very inconsistent.
 
In my early years used to fish nit nat in the gap in a 12ft tinny with a 9.9 It's all about tide direction and swell height plus timing when going out. When the tides are big and the tide is going out into a big swell you just need to make a common sense decision as the waves will be at there biggest and crashers. Once you commit to going through and start you have to finish the run to the out side. On a high tide flooding into the lake it flattens the swell out and is a nice time to do the run. You need to sit right in the gap hold your position in reverse and watch how the waves are breaking and how the sets build to time it going out. Coming in you need to ride the back side of a wave do not go over stay in a climbing position. Look back if you want while doing that and you will see a curler right on your tail but don't worry it wont catch you lol. The wave will flatten out and you cruise right into the gap. Like I said I have fished that area in a 12ft tinny, 14ft tinny and a 16 double eagle usually cut plugging just outside. I did spend my childhood years starting at 11 years old fishing Gabriola Pass, Dodds Narrows and Polier Pass when it was slack or running it's hardest in a 12 ft tinny with 9.9 so I'm very comfortable fishing turbulent water. If you get sketched out just passing through those areas when they are running then Nit Nat Gap is not a spot you want to go through because if you screw up you could be swimming. Mother nature is unforgiving.
 
there's a few good vids on that spot... enjoyed this one...




lucky's will be a bit shaken up..
 
AND don't forget about the reef inside the ocean side entrance. Many a boater has done in a prop. or worse.
Anytime we have gone into the lake from the outside, it has been slack tide and little swells.
 
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