Lets Talk About Whonnock Lake.

What I Love:

Let's start by talking about why i love Whonnock lake. Even with its proximity to civilization and its popularity, it's still quite majestic, not only does it have a lush forest as its backdrop and tons of animal life, from rabbits and loons to beavers and wood ducks, it's a gold mine for photographers or people who just like to watch, it also has some of the best sunsets i've seen anywhere. it's super close to home, has plenty of fish, multiple species, and has fishing conditions i just can't get enough of. There is lots of vegetation in the water. lots. If you like fishing lily pads, this lake is the one for you. The lake itself is pretty easy to access either from one of the two docks, that almost always have room available on them, or from a boat, there are even aluminum boat rentals on site. That said, it's my opinion that a kayak is by far the best way to access the water. And speaking of boats, Whonnock also has peddle boat rentals, which can be a really fun, leisurely (and maybe a bit dorky) way to get away from the beach crowd and see the lake, and though i haven't fished from one, i imagine it is pretty doable.

Foraging in the parking lot.

A beautiful Whonnock sunset.

A stunning view from the right dock.

What I Hate:

What do i hate about this lake. Not much. It satisfies most my wants and needs for a small local lake. From time to time in the warmer months it can be fairly packed with people and it's almost impossible to fish from the docks on those days, not so much because of fishing pressure but because of swimmers and sight seers, a problem that is easily rectified with a boat however. One other thing that does bother me is a few people's opinion of this lake. I've met many "serious anglers" who will scoff at a small stocked lake like this and i have heard it referred to more than once as "stagnant swamp"... i suppose this only really bothers me because for one it's just not true, it may have swampy areas but it is hardly stagnant. and two, it just feels disrespectful to a place that is so beautiful and so filled with potential. I suppose i shouldn't worry so much about other people's opinions or preferences though and just enjoy the fact that a there are a few less people putting angling pressure on the lake.

Let's Talk About Fishing:

Wild Cutthroat trout.

Stocked Rainbow trout.

Whonnock lake is stocked with Rainbow trout a couple times a year by the Freshwater Fisheries Society of B.C.. And like most the fish in this lake they tend to be a bit on the smaller size, but still a ton of fun to catch on light gear. I tend to catch these stocked bows while fishing for the other two species i have seen in this lake, wild Cutthroat and Black Crappie. The Rainbow are pretty typical of most stocked trout in lakes in the area, easy to catch, though not as aggressive and acrobatic or as good eating as their wild counterparts. That said, i certainly see nothing wrong with harvesting good sized stocked trout, after all that's what they have been put there for, and many of these fish often do not survive catch and release fishing.

A small Black Crappie.

The Cutthroat in this lake are a totally different story, still not too big, but just so gorgeously speckled and colored it's hard to not be in awe of them. They also tend to fight harder than the stocked fish. I personally don't keep the Cutthroat as the population doesn't seem very large and they are just such a treat to catch, i'd like to keep catching them as long as i can. Now, i'm not sure if one person's catch and release policy can do much in regards to that, but to me it just feels like the right thing to do. Now let's talk about Black Crappie. Whonnock has a very healthy Crappie population. They are by far the most abundant fish in the lake. At times it's almost impossible to not catch them and while most of them are on the smaller side compared to Crappie from other areas in the lower mainland they are a lot of fun to catch. Larger fish can be found with a little patience and searching though, and if you were keeping fish and conditions were just right it wouldn't surprise me if you caught your limit of 20 in an hour or so. Like most sunfish Crappie are fantastic table fare, and there is a ton of good instruction online on everything from cleaning to cooking. They are definitely a fish everyone should try eating at least once. But like i said previously, it may be hard to find decent sized fish in this lake.

Doubling up on Whonnock.

I tend to use one fishing technique on Whonnock more often than not as it's simple and works well for every species in the lake. That's a jig head under a float. Usually i'll pair it with a soft plastic bait like a small grub, and occasionally if the bite is difficult i'll tip the hook with a bit of worm. I fish the jig under a float for one main reason, i want an extremely slow retrieve without the risk of snagging bottom. Crappie generally respond best to a slower action, and while a super slow action isn't necessary for trout the slow retrieve doesn't seem to affect their willingness to bite so it's a nice all around presentation. I also tend to keep my leader quite short, anywhere from three to four feet seems to be most effective. And as i've mentioned before a kayak is my prefered way to access the water, it's a great way to get out on top of the lily pads where you can cast into the voids in the pads, i catch most of my fish, trout included, hiding in this dense vegetation. On a side note, i rarely fly fish this lake, but for those of you curious to do so the Crappie are a ton of fun to target on a light rod and will happily take most presentations from a top water mayfly to a chironomid near the bottom.

Lily pads for days.

I was up at Whonnock a couple days ago, just to have a look at how or if the ice melt was coming along and basically to just reflect. (by the way the ice has barely began to melt.) I've fished there a lot, it's a really easy lake to fish if you only have an hour or so after work but it can also be a super rewarding spot to spend half the day on the weekend. Aside from fishing, it's just a relaxing place to visit, a small, picturesque local lake with a lot to offer and something for everyone. It's definitely high on my list of places i'm looking forward to getting back to once the weather starts to coperate again.