Seasons at The McLean Ts'yl-os Park Lodge
Chilko Lake • British Columbia, Canada

British Columbia’s climate is extremely complex, a caldron of many, many micro-climates, extending from the maritime climates of the Pacific Ocean inland to the inland valleys of the Rocky Mountain.

Generally speaking you can expect warm summers that are prone to dry spells - with temperatures becoming milder as you travel north. June through August are the peak summer months. September and October are autumn months with snow starting to fall anytime after mid-November. Most snow has melted by early April with April and May being spring months. However, since this is mountain country, you should be prepared for sudden weather changes. In a given day you could experience temperature ranges in excess of 40° Fahrenheit and dressing in layers and inclusion of raingear in your kit is a necessity. Average July daytime temperatures are approximately 60° Fahrenheit and on a clear night they might drop to the mid thirties.

The Chilko River opens on June 11th and closes October 1st. The June weeks offer excellent streamer fishing with large size averages and sometimes incredible numbers. July & August are is dry fly fishing season and once the salmon start running and spawning in early September we move to egg patterns, flesh and streamers.

Spring is a burst of new energy and the warmth of the sun. It is new vibrant colors from the first blade of green grass, to the budding of a new leaf, crisp blue skies, and snowcapped peaks. With the spring the river gains in size and large migrations of Sockeye Salmon fry and smolt take place. With a billion one-year old Sockeye heading to the Pacific Ocean, the Rainbow Trout and Bull Trout congregate in the river for a feast. Swung or stripped streamer patterns are ravaged and the number of fish you can land in a single day can be downright silly.

Summer means big hatches of stoneflies, caddis and mayflies. Expect blue skies, warm days, alpine horseback trips and wildflowers. Dry fly fishing on the river is on and big bushy, tent-wing flies bring the fish to surface and a bend to your fly rod.

Indian Summer and September and October is a very special time of year in the Chilcotin.

It is an explosion of autumn colors, an abundance of wildlife, with crisp morning, often balmy days and cool evenings. With the changing season the Sockeye & Chinook salmon are spawning or dying in the river and lake and the trout really start to key-in on egg patterns, flesh and streamers. And with the salmon on their deathbeds, everything migrates to the river; Grizzly Bear, Black Bear, Bald Eagles, Peregrine Falcons, Herons, Ducks, Ospreys, all with a push to get as much protein as they can before winter hits. This is a wonderful time to visit Tsylos Park Lodge, some of the best fishing of the season!