By Don Daniels
At the beginning of April, I pulled over to the Roberts Lake Resort entrance to observe any activity around.
Owner Lorna Duncan and Hudsen Leroy were out and about, getting things shipshape for the upcoming season which includes fishing, camping and getting cabins ready. Roberts Lake is on the highway going north and in the summer people can take the 20-minute drive from Campbell River and get the family out fishing or cooling off in the lake during the hot weather.
Past the lake on the highway, the rest area has a nice pullout and a few tables are set up, along with portable toilets for the public to use before continuing north to Sayward or Port Hardy. There is a small dock along with a boat launch to get out fishing. The lake has a reputation of getting big wind blowing and back in the early 80s, the windsurfers would get out and play with their sails on the lake.
For fishing, the lake is not stocked each year but there is a healthy stock of cutthroat trout along with rainbows, also kokanee can be caught. I have heard reports of steelhead but maybe just large rainbows are there. The use of bait is not allowed and fish over 50 cm must be released. You can fish the shoreline using a kayak or canoe, also even walk out in the shallows in waders. Local anglers can get a small boat in the water and fish the deep water with a small plug.
The north end is ideal for fishing. There are some small islands and the beach area is ideal for trout habitat. The south end of the lake has a recreation day use area and the creek that enters the lake is ideal for fishing this time of the year. There is a camp situated at the north end of the lake and because of COVID-19 it hasn’t been in operation for a couple of years.
Local anglers can have success getting trout because they have years of experience and understand water temperature and they fish the deep water which is about 40 meters and the trout are down deep. Fly anglers can get into fish up to 2 pounds and even getting out exploring the water can keep you busy for hours.
One of the guys who has fished the lake had mentioned he doesn’t catch anything and there are no fish. Wrong! I asked him what he was doing. He had a boat, took grandma, the dog and kids out and came back empty handed. I told him to take them back to the cabin and go fishing by himself for an evening of chasing trout.
Lorna Duncan opened the restaurant around 1977 and the business is well known around the Island for cinnamon buns and coffee and serving up good food. Other lakes in the area include Cedar and Stella.
Driving from Campbell River, you may want to venture out and explore the Rock Bay Main or head out to Browns Bay.