Top 12 Smallmouth & Largemouth Bass Lakes on Vancouver Island
A quick confession on my knowledge about bass in British Columbia… I didn’t know how strong of a bass fishery BC had until 2014. My dad’s family is all from Manitoba and they are all hardcore anglers and hunters, I’ve spent countless weeks out in Southeastern Manitoba chasing Smallmouth Bass, Pike, Perch and Walleye. So I’m no stranger to this type of fishing and it’s crazy that I never paid much attention to bass here in BC earlier.
All that to say, I think many anglers would be surprised to see how strong our bass fishery is here in British Columbia!
This article is focused on the best Bass Lakes on Vancouver Island. These lakes hold either Smallmouth and/or Largemouth bass. I hope you find it helpful. Cheers! Jesse
Lakes by Rank & Name
| Rating | Lake |
|---|---|
| #1 | Elk Lake (including Beaver Lake) |
| #2 | Shawnigan Lake |
| #3 | Quennell Lake |
| #4 | Thetis Lakes |
| #5 | Prospect Lake |
| #6 | Spider Lake |
| #7 | Langford Lake |
| #8 | Long Lake |
| #9 | St Mary Lake (Saltspring island) |
| #10 | Glen Lake |
| #11 | Holden Lake |
| #12 | Matheson Lake |
See the lake locations on the Google Map below.
Elk & Beaver Lake
Elk & Beaver Lakes are located near Saanich and are only a few minutes from the Sydney Ferry Terminal. Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Rainbow Trout & Common Carp are the most popular species in this lake.
Shawnigan Lake
Shawnigan is a great bass lake on the island. Smallmouth Bass, Rainbow Trout & Largemouth Bass are the most popular species in this lake.
Shawnigan Lake Smallmouth Bass
Spider Lake
This lake has a good balance between Trout & Bass holding Rainbow Trout and Smallmouth Bass.
Quennell Lake
Smallmouth Bass, Pumpkinseed & Rainbow Trout are the most popular species in this lake.
Holden Lake
Pumpkinseed & Smallmouth Bass are the most popular species in this lake.
Long Lake
Pumpkinseed, Rainbow Trout & Smallmouth Bass are the most popular species in this lake.
Matheson Lake
Located in Roche Cove Regional Park.
Langford Lake
Rainbow Trout, Smallmouth Bass & Cutthroat Trout are the most popular species in this lake.
Glen Lake
Smallmouth Bass, Rainbow Trout & Pumpkinseed are the most popular species in this lake.
Prospect Lake
Smallmouth Bass, Rainbow Trout & Largemouth Bass are the most popular species in this lake.
Thetis Lakes
The most popular species caught in Thetis Lake are Smallmouth bass, Rainbow Trout & Pumpkinseed.
St Mary Lake, Salt Spring Island
St Mary Lake on Salt Spring Island. Smallmouth bass and Rainbow trout are most popular species caught in this lake.
Bass Seasonal Activity
Understanding bass feeding habits and spawning times will help you target them year round. This Bass Seasonal Activity Tip outlines the bass activity throughout the year and also goes over some of my favorite bass lures.
Lower Mainland & Fraser Valley Largemouth Bass Lakes
This lakes tip page is similar to this tip but it focuses on Bass in the lower mainland & Fraser Valley Bass Lake locations. The lakes on this page only hold Largemouth bass.
The most popular Bass Rigs and Setup Diagrams
This Bass setups tip outlines the most popular rigs like the Texas Rig, Carolina Rig, Drop shot Rig & Wacky Rig. I’ve included videos and diagrams for all these setups. These are foundational bass rigs that should be known for bass fishing. For additional lure ideas check out our Top 6 Bass Baits page.
Vancouver Island Bank Fishing Locations
For the bank anglers there are countless locations to fish all around Vancouver Island. These locations you can target migrating Salmon, Lingcod, Rockfish, Herring, Perch and many other ground fish. For some of the most popular Vancouver Island Bank Fishing Locations see this tip.
