Where: Highway 22A, 10 km southeast of Trail, BC Canada
Coordinates: 49.06085, -117.61085
Accessibility: Easy: drive in during spring and summer
When: Best in April-May and in summer following freshet
Main Species: Rainbow trout
Beaver Creek Provincial Park offers everything a visiting angler needs and more. The park boasts a 19-site campground, group picnic grounds, fire pits, a soccer pitch, parking lot, boat launch, hiking trails and many good shore angling opportunities.
From January to March anglers often bottom fish or spin cast off the large rocky points or from the beach area for rainbow trout. When the park is closed for winter anglers access the Columbia River via a dirt road on the north side of Beaver Creek.
In the early season when the park is still closed anglers can access the park by a short hike from the gate or from the trail north of Beaver Creek. In April, rainbows move into the shallows near the mouth of Beaver Creek to spawn, so it’s recommended to give the spawners a break and try fishing the points and the big seams of the main river.
When fly fishing, nymphing stonefly patterns are productive, as is using sinking line with attractor patterns near the mouth of Beaver Creek.
Angling remains good through the summer, although the river does come up in June and it can become difficult to access Beaver Creek Park from shore.
July and August are favourite months with thick caddis and rising rainbows. Dry fly season is an angler’s dream. Fly fishers use caddis patterns, from dangling caddis emergers to floating adult CDCs, elk hair, or X-wing caddis.
The fishing remains good through the fall with the colours of autumn bursting, and warm autumn days spent landing large Columbia red band rainbows make for a spectacular experience.
Book a camping spot, relax, and enjoy the view with the river at your doorstep. There’s a reason it’s called Beautiful British Columbia, and this is one of those hidden gems. The Kiwanis Club of Trail is the park operator, and reservations can be made by calling 250-367-9165.
About our fishing hole sponsor
Trail Beer Refinery. As our friends at the Trail Beer Refinery say, “fishing without beer is like fishing without beer”. After a great days fishing why not sample a delicious craft beer, catch up with old friends, make new friends, eat fantastic food, and maybe tell a fishing tale or two.
