Rainbows? where at in Cold Lake area

[DeanP]

I'm fairly new to this area and was wondering if any lakes/rivers have any rainbows?
I tried the Medley River river for a couple of years and had success but last year there was nothing...

I'm originally from Quesnel B.C. and rainbows were everywhere, sure miss those little guys.

[tyee33]

well, sorry to say but you may have to pack up that fly rod untill you head back home.I too came from B.C, (Chilliwack) hoping to see some rainbows in/around Cold Lake but nothing like where you come from.Little Bear does have those pellet fed hatchery trout that taste like mud but other than that, not much else around.There are a few pothole lakes with hatchery trout throughout the area but I would say that you will be very disappointed with what you find.My 3 Sages are pretty well collecting dust, sold my float tube, crawdad and took up Lake trout fishing.No wild rainbows around here, just those pellet fed muddy things that bite on anything you throw at them.Sorry

[spudislander]

I've come to the same conclusion. Most of my trout fishing will be road trips this summer. I'm going to chase grayling too.

[surhuntsalot]

If you keep going North of little bear, you will come to where the Medley River crosses the Primrose Hwy. They used to stock rainbows in the little river, was fun to fish them there.

[DeanP]

you will come to where the Medley River crosses the Primrose Hwy
I've done that. I had the name of the river messed up in my first post.
It was fun for a couple of years but then nothing last year...
Tyee 33- It was nice meeting you at the K-Rock fishing contest; I didn't have any luck on Sunday when you showed me where to go, but then again I don't own any flasher yet.
Our unit is having a "Sports Day" on Friday and a bunch of us are going ice fishing. I'm not the OPI, so we are just going to the French Bay area. Any good around there? It will be close to the ski hill.

[tyee33]

As you are looking out from the provincial park launch you will see where it opens up to a bay and the ski hill is at the far east end, Garnet beach is to your far left or almost North, to the right where the bay starts is where you want to go.Big rocks and lots of structure that the pike love to hang around in.Fish 25-50m out any where around that point with a tip up and a big smelt and hang on.If the bite is on, tonnes of fun.Further to the right in the shallow bay with the cat tails on the shore is where the jumbo perch hang out, havent heard of them moving in shallow yet but when they come in, its all kinds of fun as well.It is really shallow with the odd boulder right below the ice so watch out for the auger blades, probably 2 ft deep.The K-Rock thing was neat, met all kinds of new people from Cold Lake that are crazy about fishing like I am.Sorry I cant join you on Friday, only remaining army in me is my pension check every month.Sure do miss the old sports days though.Good luck and look for those rocks by the point.Ill be trying to make some oil but will catch up with you next week.Cheers.If you want wild trout, hit the "Forestry Trunk" road, its not B.C. but really good if you know where to go, Dollies are really fun on the fly in around that area.

[DeanP]

Thanks for the tip on where to go piking on Cold Lake.

Where is this Forestry Trunk road?