Elk Lake, Saanich
Elk Lake is a large waterbody located between Victoria and Saanich in Southern Vancouver Island. This lake offers a multi-species fishery, which produces trout, bass and carp. Beside fishing, the lake is also regularly used by rowers and other recreational groups.
How to Get There?
There are many access spots around Elk Lake. Capital Regional District has a good map which labels all the parking lots, fishing piers, boat launches, picnic areas, beaches. The fishing pier at the northeastern corner of the lake is a good spot, which can be accessed via Bear Hill Road. The path along the east side of the lake just south of Hamsterly Beach is a popular spot for carp fishing.
Two boat launches are available at the lake. The boat launch at the northern end is more suitable for large motorized boats as it is in the over 10HP boating zone. The boat launch by the Elk Lake Rowing Centre is more suitable for smaller boats.
Fishing Season
Freshwater Water Fisheries Society of BC stocks catchable rainbow trout at Elk Lake in spring and fall, so anglers can expect to catch these rainbow trout consistently during those months. Not all of these stocked trout are caught right away so some will grow much larger and become trophy size fish. It is also possible to catch cutthroat trout in this lake. While fishing becomes slower in the winter, it is still possible to catch these trout as the area generally remains pretty mild compared to the rest of British Columbia.
Beside rainbow trout, both largemouth bass and smallmouth bass can be caught. Fishing for bass can be good from early spring, throughout the summer and into late fall. Pumpkinseed sunfish and yellow perch are also abundant during this time.
Fishing Techniques
Because the entire shoreline of Elk Lake has well maintained walking/biking trail, fishing from shore is possible and productive at times. If common carp are what you are targeting, then fishing from these paths and beaches is best as these fish prefer to swim in relatively shallow water. Simply bottom fish with a variety of bait such as corn and dough balls. Common carp in Elk Lake can be up to 15lb so a medium spinning rod and reel setup is required.
While catching bass from shore is possible, it is much more productive from a boat which allows you to move from spot to spot, covering as many structures as possible. Bass often hide in weeds, under logs and branches, so a boat is necessary for you to get to these tricky spots. Depending on the time of the year, bass can be caught by topwater lures, or soft plastics being jigged close to the bottom. Beaver Lake, which is connected to Elk Lake at the southern end, offers plenty of good bass fishing spots.
Rainbow and cutthroat trout can be caught from shore by casting and retrieving lures, but it can be difficult at times if water level is low. Good spots are further out in the middle where they can only be reached by a boat. When fishing from a boat, trolling is often very effective. The fishing pier at the northeastern side of the lake regularly produces trout. Here the water appears to be deeper. If it is windy, cast and rest a piece of bait on the bottom. If it is calm, then float fishing is better as you can suspend your bait above the weed beds.
Important Notes
Before your first fishing trip to Elk Lake, please make sure you know the following information:
- You must have a valid British Columbia freshwater fishing license.
- Elk Lake is located in Region 1 in the British Columbia freshwater fishing regulations.
- Elk Lake is heavily used by other recreational users such as rowers, boaters and runners. Please respect local residents, park users and wildlife around the lake by keeping the noise level down and picking up your own garbage.
