Need to please the whole family and still get to fish.....Help!

[Spidey]

Our holiday time is limited this summer and instead of taking seperate vacations I'd would like to find a spot where we all can have fun. I like to fish mountain/higher altitude lakes, my wife likes to lay in the sun and read and my daughters (8 and 10) like to swim and ride bikes. Usually the lakes I like to fish are too cold for my girls to swim. We've stayed at Premiere Lake in BC which was good for swimming/fishing and I could hike my bellyboat up to the nearby higher lakes. But that campground is crazy busy and the odds of getting a site seem slim this summer.

What I'd like to do this year is find a lake/campsite that is harder to drive in to (like on a rough BC forestry service road) and therefore less busy. We have a 4x4 truck and a beefy, off road tent trailer with mudder tires and tons of clearance and would like to find a harder to reach spot but with water warm enough to swim in or at least reasonably close enough for my wife and girls to drive to a little beach or pool for the day.

Any ideas guys and gals? I'm thinking BC as most campgrounds in Alberta are accessible, even for those with 35ft 5th wheels and 50ft motorhomes.

[bucktaker]

i would be looking around kootney lake, creston, nelson area. Every thing u are looking for around there. Week of july 19 is usally the hottest. 32+

[Spidey]

Thanks bucktaker. Any small fishing lakes you care to divulge the names of? I forgot to say I will be brining a pontoon boat, backpackable bellyboat and canoe with trolling motor.

[jesse34567]

definetly try duck lake near creston there are tons of largemouth bass over the 8lb mark belly boats are perfect for it cause it does not allow motors

[Jetski]

White Swan Lake and Top of the World Park area;

http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/bcparks/explore/parkpgs/whtswan/

http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/bcparks/explore/parkpgs/top_world/

Nothing like having a sunset dip in natural hotsprings with the family.

[barbless]

You could try Lake Revelstoke just about anywhere north of the Dam. There is Martha Creek campground about 15min. north on Hwy.23 of Dam, it has a beach, cook shack, toilets, about 36 sites, wind and some good kokanee, Dolly and Rainbow fishing. If you go further north on Hwy.23 there are lots of spots that are not campgrounds but are spots that you can get to if you just pull off the Hwy. with lake access. Just keep a good eye out to the left for these turn offs cause it's pretty easy to go right by them. Second bridge is another campground, good spot. Carnes Creek I believe. All the way up to Downy Creek another good fish'n hole and beach. You could continue on to Mica Dam where th Bow trout fish'n for the most part has been excellent at that time of year. 5hrs. to Revy and 61/2 to 7hrs to Mica approx. We have been going to Revy for the last 9yrs. just for the fish'n. It get's hot in July and the bathing suits come out. Just Google Earth Revelstoke and follow the lake north and you should be able to see a lot of the spots. Have fun with the family.

[Johnny]

You can try Summitt and Box Lake near Nakusp...these are two of my favorite little lakes. Nice sized rainbows. Summitt has a nice little campground and beach. Good luck.

[Spidey]

Thanks everyone for all the suggestions! We seem to be of very similar minds. We've stayed at Summit and Whiteswan in the past and really enjoyed both (especially the hotsprings on the Lussier!) And duck lake has been on my to do list for awhile after catching smallies for the first time at Christina Lake Last year.

I am still looking get further off the beaten path, though. Last year at Summit, we had a nice spot on the water but during the night a MASSIVE 5th wheel pulled in beside us and cut off half our view. My goal is to get deeper in to campsites where someone does not want to pull his $75,000 5th wheel.

For anyone interested, I found this site for BC Forestry Service Campgrounds. The interactive map is amazing as all BCFS site on on it. Many of the sites are free to camp!


http://www.britishcolumbia.com/parks/?id=627
Barbless has peaked my interest in the Revelstoke area as we haven't explored that area much yet.