Mabel Lake

I'm going to be spending a week or so in early September at Mabel Lake, in a forestry campsite. Is there any good fishing in the lake, or in nearby creeks or rivers? Most of my freshwater experiences have been fly fishing on Southern Vancouver Island rivers and streams, and I'll have my fly gear with me. I will also have the use of a pretty well stocked hardware tackle box and my 8 foot inflatable with a small outboard. Any information would be appreciated.

Paul
 
No expert here, but there is great catch and release trout flyfishing in the river in late April/early May for 4-10 lb rainbows that drop down from the lake. So these fish are in the lake now and people catch them and bull trout by trolling. The lake also has kokanee. I have caught smaller rainbows from the beach by a friend's cabin with a fly rod. One thing I would discourage you from trying is trolling for springs in the lake as some people do. These fish have come up the Fraserand S. Thompson, through Shuswap and Mara lakes, down the Shuswap river and into Mabel lake. They are tired old boots that should be left alone in my opinion. Stop at Surplus Herby's in Vernon for better info.
 
I fish for and keep Salmon in salt water, but haven't targeted them in fresh water of any kind for many years. I figure if they make it out into the ocean and back again, they deserve to be left alone once they reach fresh water. I do, however, plan on catching and keeping trout of any legal variety while there...assuming I can catch them.

Where do the mature springs hang out, so I can avoid harassing them?

Paul
 
End of July, August. To be honest, I don't really know when they head for the river and I don't know if they carry on to the section of the Shuswap River between Mabel and Sugar Lake or if they drop back down to the river below the community of Mabel Lake. If you get into one, play it fast, let it go without netting and try a different section of the lake for the other species. A friend hiked up one of the creeks with his kids to flyfish for very small trout. Might be worth a try if you enjoy that kind of thing. Good luck.
 
Salmon can't get past the power station that's above Mabel Lake so no salmon between Sugar and Mabel dam. There was some noise being made a few years ago about a fish ladder but that seems to have fallen to the wayside.

Most of the little creeks that flow into Mabel have small trout in them- fun stuff on light fly gear. If you're feeling adventurous you could try the upper Cottonwood Creek. I haven't been up there for years but the little ponds at the headwaters used to hold a ton of trout up to about 12-14".

3" blue apex trolled deeper will probably get you dollies and bigger 'bows.

RC

Just checked and I think it's actually Tsuis Creek and not Cottonwood. I think Cottonwood was the old logging company designation for the road.

Should have asked: which end of Mabel are camping at? My reply assumed it was the Lumby end but if you're coming in from the Enderby side then Wap creek might be worth a fish.
 
I don't know where we'll be - we're going there to visit our daughter and she tells us we'll be at a forestry campground at Mabel Lake...

Paul
 
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