Fishing with Rod Discussion Forum

Fishing in British Columbia => General Discussion => Topic started by: SuperBobby on September 03, 2024, 09:55:59 AM

Title: Upper Pitt river compared to the Lower Lillooet River
Post by: SuperBobby on September 03, 2024, 09:55:59 AM
We have 2 very similar watersheds. Both are glacier fed. Both run into large lakes that drain into the Fraser and are close to the ocean.
And yet....the fishing overall in the upper Pitt is in another league compared the lower Lillooet. The lower Lillooet does have some good fishing in it and I have personally had some very nice 'fish' days there....but not like the upper Pitt. What are some thoughts on the 2 systems?

Now, the obvious answer is going to be 'access', but the upper Pitt gets a lot of guiding pressure, and the lower Lillooet doesn't get as much overall pressure as one might think.
Title: Re: Upper Pitt river compared to the Lower Lillooet River
Post by: canoeboy on September 03, 2024, 10:38:41 AM
I'm guessing you are talking about fish other then salmon? I know both are closed for salmon but I have also never heard of great runs on either so that makes sense. I have heard of good bulltrout fishing on the upper pitt. That being the only fishery I've ever really heard of on either.
Title: Re: Upper Pitt river compared to the Lower Lillooet River
Post by: SuperBobby on September 03, 2024, 05:06:15 PM
I'm guessing you are talking about fish other then salmon? I know both are closed for salmon but I have also never heard of great runs on either so that makes sense. I have heard of good bulltrout fishing on the upper pitt. That being the only fishery I've ever really heard of on either.

As for the last few years....yes...mostly talking about the trout and char fishing. However, it hasn't been that there were salmon seasons in both. And I think the Upper Pitt still has C&R. I don't think the lower Lillooet River ever had Coho fishing like the upper Pitt.
Title: Re: Upper Pitt river compared to the Lower Lillooet River
Post by: canoeboy on September 04, 2024, 11:30:47 AM
The pitt isn't listed in the salmon fishing regulations so no catch and release I believe :(
Title: Re: Upper Pitt river compared to the Lower Lillooet River
Post by: SuperBobby on September 04, 2024, 12:53:20 PM
The pitt isn't listed in the salmon fishing regulations so no catch and release I believe :(

You could be right. I do know that it wasn't that long ago that they heavily guided for Coho on the Upper Pitt. It wouldn't surprise me if that is off the table now.
Title: Re: Upper Pitt river compared to the Lower Lillooet River
Post by: redside1 on September 05, 2024, 07:36:52 AM
Couple of things, Pitt is the final destination for many species, Lower lillooet is a travel corridor for many fish heading to destinations further upstream above the second lake.
Lower lillooet over the years has had times of a robust FN food fishery harvesting anything the nets can catch, salmon, steelhead and trout/char. Plus FN's target trout/char there is a big way and keep the population down in the river.
Not trying to start a us vs them thing just things I have noticed for many years.
At freshet time the lower lillooet will be very coloured, have very high water and be basically unfishable unlike the upper pitt.

Just a couple of observations of many years angling the lower lillooet.

Nowadays the lower lillooet has a number of guides/anglers going there illegally targeting the closed to fishing spring run chinook claiming they are fishing trout/char. Interesting to see the hypocritical anglers go at it.
Title: Re: Upper Pitt river compared to the Lower Lillooet River
Post by: RalphH on September 05, 2024, 09:29:18 AM
No real experience with either but the Birkenhead is perhaps more similar to the Upper Pitt than the Lower Lillooet. The Lillooet is heavily glaciated for most of spring through fall. 
Title: Re: Upper Pitt river compared to the Lower Lillooet River
Post by: wildmanyeah on September 05, 2024, 02:40:17 PM
who cares about the fish, what one has the most gold!
Title: Re: Upper Pitt river compared to the Lower Lillooet River
Post by: bj23 on September 15, 2024, 11:49:16 AM
who cares about the fish, what one has the most gold!
/quote]

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