Fishing with Rod Discussion Forum

Fishing in British Columbia => General Discussion => Topic started by: Rantalot on November 25, 2007, 08:23:31 PM

Title: Pitt river
Post by: Rantalot on November 25, 2007, 08:23:31 PM
With a twenty horse jet how long would the trip up there be?Also would it be worth the trip this late?
Title: Re: Pitt river
Post by: limit time on November 26, 2007, 08:10:15 AM
i think the lake is 24 khm long?  and get verry rough this time of the year (depend on weather), 20hp should take couple of hrs,depends  on how much gear (gas) you take, pretty remote at the far end. lots of good fishing for coho and trout.  what kinda boat you have?
Title: Re: Pitt river
Post by: clownfish on November 26, 2007, 08:12:30 AM
Depends on your top speed, I believe it's roughly 14 miles to the north end of the lake. In my 16ft  (Fibreform 120Hp) at full throttle, it takes about 25-28 minutes from the 5mph marker upstream from the Grant Narrows boat launch. You need to be aware of the tide on the lake, lots of people have run into trouble because of it, and of course there are the winds and heavy waves that can pop up suddenly, particularly this time of year. Best not to go by yourself, make sure you have a good safety/survival kit, and make sure someone knows were you are going and when to expect you back.
Title: Re: Pitt river
Post by: fishey on November 26, 2007, 03:27:01 PM
is it worth the trip?...fishing wise?

-fishey
Title: Re: Pitt river
Post by: limit time on November 26, 2007, 06:21:48 PM
is it worth the trip?...fishing wise?

-fishey

yes
Title: Re: Pitt river
Post by: RA40 on November 28, 2007, 12:04:50 PM
Rantalot, I would not recommend crossing the lake with only 20 hp jet, that is equivilant to a 15 hp prop. If the lake gets rough you will find yourself in a lot of trouble. Winter brings artic northerly outflows, these outflows combined with an incoming tide and your into very large water. I've been turned around more than once and winter is your worse time to cross. Even if you make it across, coming back can be as bad or worse. Afternoon winds usually come from the south so more than likely you will have rough water going back. During summer, I would have no problem using your boat, winter is a different story.
Title: Re: Pitt river
Post by: clownfish on November 28, 2007, 12:58:35 PM
Excellent advice! Always err on the side of caution when on the water, we want to be eating the fish, not the other way around. I'm pretty sure RA40 is giving sound advice as he has lots of experience on local waters.

 
Title: Re: Pitt river
Post by: Sandhead on November 28, 2007, 05:23:50 PM
I took a little boston whaler up past raven creek last summer.
Wasnt really paying too much attention to the depth sounder untill i realized i was in two feet of water and could see the bottom and I was a quite the distance from shore...
Would hate to be in a section of the lake where its only a couple feet deep and some serious chop.
Title: Re: Pitt river
Post by: Hohummm on November 29, 2007, 08:04:31 AM
Rantalot, I would not recommend crossing the lake with only 20 hp jet, that is equivilant to a 15 hp prop. If the lake gets rough you will find yourself in a lot of trouble. Winter brings artic northerly outflows, these outflows combined with an incoming tide and your into very large water. I've been turned around more than once and winter is your worse time to cross. Even if you make it across, coming back can be as bad or worse. Afternoon winds usually come from the south so more than likely you will have rough water going back. During summer, I would have no problem using your boat, winter is a different story.

Yah, what RA40 said......
I'll add a couple of points (please don't take offense if you already know this stuff...) Both Coquitlam and Ridge-Meadows SAR get called many time a year to Pitt Lake to search for, or rescue stranded boaters. The locals also rescue many people.
- Pitt Lake has incredible potential for absolutely terrible conditions, and the conditions change fast at any time of year.
- If you haven't already done so, look at (better yet, buy) a chart of the lake and be familiar with the shoals at the south end. As Sandhead indicated, it's not just the big one on the west side of the channel that's an issue.
- Remember that it is tidal(physically, not from fisheries POV). beached boats float away....or become high and dry depending on the flow.
- not a very busy lake at this time of year. If you get beached away from the communities on the lake, nobody will easily see you.
- Spotty or nonexistent cell service beyond goose island.
- Be prepared for an overnighter.

In spite of all this doom and gloom, the scenery alone up there is spectacular and well worth a trip. Once you get to the north end of the lake, it's hard to believe that you are still that close to town (relatively)
 
Title: Re: Pitt river
Post by: Nicole on November 29, 2007, 02:53:38 PM
I would think a 16 foot boat would be the minimum you'd want to take out there, that is a long way, and I've seen it when the wind comes up... It's pretty scary!

Cheers,
Nicole
Title: Re: Pitt river
Post by: firstlight on November 30, 2007, 07:02:54 PM
I was at the far end in my 16 lund with 25 hp and i was in the chop before i knew it.
It started slapping at the boat from all angles and was a very nervous few minutes to get to the east shoreline where i followed it back at about 5 miles an hour.
Must have been an outflowing tide and inflow wind as it happened so fast it was blinding.