"Who would have believed that there is a lake hidden high in the Rockies that has some of 
the best Eastern Brook Trout fishing in all of Canada?" ~ Outdoor Canada Magazine.

Catch & Release
The first consideration we give is to the fishery at Fortress Lake. Fortress Lake  is considered Western North America's finest brook trout lake and is set in a stunning, world renowned alpine location. While it is a fertile lake, it is set in a fragile ecosystem. Because of this, Fortress Lake Retreat is catch & release for guests.

Fortress Lake is a very visible example of how a small, responsible, commercial operations can be conducted in pristine locations such as Hamber Provincial Park. Please help us to preserve this pristine wilderness location by minimizing your impact on the fishery, the lake, and the surrounding environment by following the simple steps as will be outlined upon arrival.

The Fishery
Fortress Lake is 11km (7mi) long and averages 1.5km (1mi) wide. Our retreat represents the majority of the use on the lake and we accommodate a maximum of 16 guests. Our guests adhere to catch and release. We feel that the opportunity to enjoy wild places like this is accompanied by an obligation to act as responsible guardians of the resource. We are the only commercial operators permitted on the lake, no other guide, company, or services exist or are permitted. The fishing is as good now as it has ever been - let's keep it that way! 

Wood River
We don't just fish Fortress Lake. For stream fishermen, there is a good population of brook trout in the outflowing river at the west end of the lake. We shuttle to the mouth of the river and wade our way downstream. There are good pools and seams to fish with some dry and wet fly, lures, and jigs. The river gets light hatches of stoneflies, caddis, and mayflies.

"There are so many fish it began to seem like an Alfred Hitchcock movie - one called The Fish" - Conde Nast Traveler magazine

The Season
Our waters are cold year round and the fishing is fairly consistent at Fortress Lake, although the fish themselves provide a bit of a challenge as they move about the lake with seasonal conditions. May - June and September - October are the best sight fishing  months, when schools of fish can easily be seen and cast to. Late July through early September can offers good, consistent fishing. Early July can be temperamental and can see some murky conditions due to  alpine runoff, but at the same time some of the best fishing can occur in July.

Angling Licenses
A current Province of British Columbia angling license is required to fish our waters.  We no longer issue licenses at the lake. BC licenses are now issued on line.

Pontoon & Motor Boats
There are many points along the lake shoreline where fishing is possible year-round. Some of the best are just a short stroll from camp. Our boats are ideal for anywhere along the lake shoreline. Typically we drift with the wind using small corrections with the oars, while casting to the cover lining the shoreline.

We have 12 and 14 foot aluminum boats powered with clean and quiet 4-stroke Honda motors. Guests wishing to use these will appreciate the cost of maintenance and fuel at such a remote location, as we fly all fuel in. Because of this, we do employ wind drifting the shorelines rather than trolling - trolling is quite ineffective,  the best method to anchor and fan cast. A guide on the oars with one or two anglers per boat is an ideal way to spend the day wind drifting also. 

Flies / lures
We use barbless, single hooks only when angling at Fortress Lake, per provincial regulations. No double fly/hook set ups.

We use streamers for much of the season. Chironomid fishing can be exceptional, as can nymphing and fishing scud patterns. Dry fly fishing is sometimes effective, though we encourage guests to come prepared to spend most of their time subsurface. Spin fishers have excellent success as well. Various lures, jigs, etc are employed. We will email a packing list upon booking.

Rods, Reels and Other Gear
We recommend 9 foot fly rods with #6 quick sinking and sink tip line. Floating line (with 9 to 20 foot leaders) can also be quite effective at given times. Spin fishers should come prepared to fish a variety of tactics, keeping in mind the heavy wood in the lake and large trout. An exact packing list will be emailed to you upon booking. We recommend purchasing the sinking fly lines at Fortress Lake Retreat to ensure you get the right sink rate to fish this lake. They are available in our guide shack.

Your Trophy
We promote replica mounts and have an excellent artist we work with. All that is necessary is a couple of good quality color photos of your catch, a length and breadth measurement, plus a quick weight, and then you can return your catch to fight another day.

Our fishing vacation packages include semi-guided fishing, which entails that you will have time with a guide, but not your entire trip (fully guided packages are available). You will learn about the lake, how to fish it, fly/lure selection, locations of the lake that are fishing well - where the best fishing is at given times. Our concept is to provide the instruction required and allow you to fish with one guide per two boats on the lake, and not have a guide over your shoulder the entire trip.

"This is a fishery which offers perhaps the finest brook trout fishing, challenging the legendary waters of Labrador and Ungava" ~ Canadian Fly Fisher Magazine

Each guest will receive guiding and instruction to successfully fish our waters. We strive for you to enjoy your time on the water, with excitement and anticipation of angling success. We will have an appropriate number of staff on site for your group to be properly assisted in finding and catching trout. Again, through the years, we have found that it is not necessary to have a guide with you all day as everyone enjoys varying degrees of personal, quiet time.

"Powerful, tough, and exceptional fighters!" Le Moucher Mag (France)

Fishing Instruction is also included in your package. For people who simply wish to learn how to fly fish, our guide staff is extremely efficient in teaching the art of fly fishing. Our teaching process begins by showing the end result in demonstration, then breaking down each component of casting with each "student". Learning to fly fish is fun, and what better place to do so? Once the casting clinic is complete, we host each guest on the water and begin the process of learning why the trout are where they are and how to catch them.  Spin fishers are given every consideration as brook trout are at least as fun on spinning gear as the fly, often with greater success.

Ultimately, we ask the question... is spin fishing or fly fishing the most effective technique to catch trophy brookies? Perhaps your group of friends might want to do a little head to head fishing and find out for yourselves...