The Areas
We fish Williston Lake, Dinosaur Lake and the Peace River in north-eastern British Columbia.
Williston Lake is the largest lake in British Columbia, a reservoir formed by the building of the W.A.C. Bennett Dam on the Peace River in the 1960s. We fish the lake from the dam completely through the Rocky Mountains, so the scenery is spectacular. This part of the lake is called the Peace Arm and is approximately 110 km. long.
The Bennett Dam affects the levels of the Williston Lake reservoir. The water levels go down in the winter, and come up in May and June. In early May when the ice melts, the water level will be low and there will be bare ground along the shore. In June the water level rises, and in July and August it is high and stable.
Reservoirs are similar to the sea coast in one way. Where streams come into the lake, there are inlets. These narrow passages are often beautiful, and some have waterfalls at the end.
Dinosaur Lake is the reservoir behind the Peace Canyon Dam. Before the flooding dinosaur footprints were found along the river, some of which were removed and placed in museums. Dinosaur Lake is narrow and 20 km. long. The ice is usually off the lake by April 1st. The banks of the lake are steep, but there are pleasant places to stop and enjoy the scenery or have a picnic.
The early explorers and fur traders couldn't navigate the fast water in the canyon and had to portage many kilometres around the canyon from Hudson's Hope to where the Bennett Dam is now. On Dinosaur Lake much of the canyon walls remain.
The Peace River begins at the Peace Canyon Dam.
There is something exciting about boating and fishing on a river! It is an adventure to travel on the Peace with its calm areas, small rapids, and the great force of the water in other places. There are a number of islands on the river that are scenic.
The Peace River joins the Athabasca and then the Mackenzie River in the long trip to the Arctic Ocean.
