Colliery Dam Lakes, Nanaimo
Built in the early 1900s as a source of water supply, the lakes at Colliery Dam today offers rainbow trout fishing in spring and fall for the communities around Nanaimo. Colliery Dam Park is also a popular swimming spot in the summer. These lakes are part of the urban recreational fishery program in Southern Vancouver Island and it is suitable for young families.
How to Get There?
Colliery Dam's lakes are located along Nanaimo Lakes Road just outside of Nanaimo. Travel west on Nanaimo Lakes Road and just before Nanaimo Parkway, you can find entrances to the lakes. It is a short walk from the parking lots to the lakes and the trails are generally well maintained.
Fishing Season
The dominant species in these lake is rainbow trout, which are stocked by the Freshwater Fisheries Society of BC several times per year. These are Fraser Valley rainbow trout, released at catchable size, around 250 to 300g. Trout fishing can be good from early spring until it becomes too warm in the summer. Fishing usually improves near the end of summer once swimmers do not disturb the lakes or when temperature lowers again. Winter fishing can be done, but it is generally not as productive as spring and fall.
Fishing Techniques
Shore fishing is readily available at Colliery Dam's lakes from the park's trails. To catch these rainbow trout, you can simply cast and retrieve small spoons or spinners with an ultralight spinning setup. Water is usually quite clear with a brown tint so you need to cast as far as possible to entice fish. With an ultralight setup, you should be able to cast small lures easily.
Because parts of the lakes are quite open, which provides plenty of back casting space, you can also try fly fishing from shore. When casting, you should be aware of other park users so you do not hook them on your back cast.
For a more relaxing way to fish, bring a lawn chair and some bait. You can cast and rest your rod while waiting for fish to grab your bait. Bait can be presented by either under a small float or on the bottom.
Important Notes
Before your first fishing trip to the lakes at Colliery Dam, please make sure you know the following information:
- You must have a valid British Columbia freshwater fishing license.
- These lakes are located in Region 1 in the British Columbia freshwater fishing regulations.
- Please respect local residents, park users and wildlife around the lake by keeping the noise level down and picking up your own garbage.
