Omineca. 
Know before you go
Advisories
Safety information
Boating
Power boating and canoeing are enjoyable and popular pastimes at Carp Lake, provided reasonable care is practiced.
- The lake is subject to high winds and consequent rough waters that can be responsible for swamping the unwary. Watch the weather and always wear your lifejacket.
- Powerboat operators are requested to please reduce speed in Kettle Bay to prevent damage to boats and equipment and to reduce erosion of the lakeshore.
Travel
Travelling on forest roads is somewhat different from travelling on public highways. For your own safety, drive with extreme caution at all times.
- Obey all road signs.
- Give logging and industrial traffic the right-of-way by moving to the nearest turnout or pulling off the travelled right-of-way as far as possible.
- Allow overtaking traffic to pass.
- Drive with lights on – especially under dusty conditions – to make yourself more visible.
- Park well off the travelled portion of the road if you must stop along the way.
Weather
The weather pattern at Carp Lake is fairly typical of the north central region of the province. Summers are short and relatively cool, with July temperatures averaging 12 to 18°C. Evenings may see dramatic temperature drops. Winter comes early and blankets the area with snow. January temperatures usually hover between -12°C and -18°C. Annual precipitation is about 50cm, of which about 40% is in the form of snow.
Carp Lake Park is relatively isolated and supplies nothing but water and firewood. The nearest supplies are 32 kilometres away in the community of McLeod Lake.
Special notes
Dogs are not allowed in Bert’s Cabin at any time.
Review the detailed guides under visit responsibly for more information on staying safe and preserving our natural spaces.
Visit responsibly
Follow these guides to ensure your activities are safe, respectful, and ecologically friendly:
Maps and location
- Park Map [PDF] (updated June 2008)
- Park Brochure [PDF]
Bathymetric Maps:
Getting there
Carp Lake Park is two hours drive northwest of Prince George. The main access road to the park joins Highway 97 (the John Hart Highway) at the community of McLeod Lake, 141km north of Prince George. It is 32km from McLeod Lake to the Carp Lake campground. This gravel road is single lane over part of its length, and has some rough surfaces and tight corners. The road may not be suitable for cars or trailers during the spring break-up period. Some portions of the road must be shared with industrial traffic. The closest communities, towns and cities are Prince George, Bear Lake, McLeod Lake and MacKenzie.
Camping
Cabins and huts
Bert’s Cabin: Site includes one cabin (Maximum Occupancy: 4 people) and three tent pads (Maximum Occupancy: 4 people per tent pad). Available by reservation through the BC Parks reservations system. Please note that dogs are not allowed in Bert’s Cabin at any time.
Cabins and huts
Frontcountry camping
There are 102 campsites at this park available on a first come, first served basis. During the winter months, the main gate is left open. There are no services but camping is possible at the picnic shelter as it has a large wood stove.
War Lake
There are 12 campsites near the east end of War Lake. Not suited for long units. Water pumps, pit toilets, firewood and a car-top boat launch are provided.
Carp Lake (Kettle Bay)
There are 90 sites at Kettle Bay. It can accommodate tents and most recreational vehicles. A playground, horseshoe pitches and picnic shelter are located within the campground. Running water, pit toilets and firewood are provided.
Reservations are accepted. Outside of reservable dates, all campsites are first come, first served.
Long-stay camping is available full season. Please contact the park operator for information and to book one of these sites.
| Vehicle-accessible camping fee | $20 per party per night |
| BC seniors’ rate (day after Labour Day to June 14 only) | $10 per senior party per night |
| Long-stay camping | $90 per week |
For information on the BC seniors’ rate, see the camping fees page. Information on long-stay camping is available on the Frontcountry Camping webpage.
Frontcountry campgrounds
Group camping
There are group campsites available. Reservations are not required.
Marine-accessible camping
Marine-accessible camping is available with rudimentary facilities on Balsalm Island, Spirea Island, and White Spruce Island, as well as at Bert’s Cabin. No garbage facilities are available. Please bring your garbage back to the boat launch for disposal. These sites are user-maintained outside of the main camping season. Please leave your site as clean as you found it or cleaner. These sites are only accessible by boat and are available by reservation only through the BC Parks reservations system.
Island camping:
Walk-in camping fee: $13 per party per night. Maximum occupancy 4 people per site.
When visiting marine-accessible sites, be respectful of the sensitive wildlife habitats, and learn how to stay safe using our marine visitor guide.
Marine-accessible campgrounds
Things to do
A loop trail connects the campground with Rainbow Lake and with McLeod River, providing access to fly fishing sites. There are interpretive signs on this trail, providing information on local features. There is also a trail between Drumlin Bay and Dace Lake that can only be accessed by boat. Near the eastern entrance to the park a short trail leads to magnificent War Falls.
For your own safety and the preservation of the park, obey posted signs and keep to designated trails. Shortcutting trails destroys plant life and soil structure.
There are two sandy beaches at this park. One is a 20 minute hike and the other is a 40 minute hike from the Carp Lake campground.
There are no lifeguards on duty in BC Parks.
Canoeing and kayaking are very popular at this park. The islands offer backcountry camping and you can register at the boat launch at Carp Lake. The lake is subject to high winds and rough waters that can be responsible for swamping. Watch the weather and always wear lifejackets.
Canoeing and kayaking are very popular at this park. The islands offer backcountry camping and you can register at the boat launch at Carp Lake. The lake is subject to high winds and rough waters that can be responsible for swamping. Watch the weather and always wear lifejackets.
Angling is the single most popular activity in the park, which is considered one of the very best fishing sites in the Central Interior. The 6,000 hectare lake was first acclaimed for its prime fishing potential nearly two centuries ago, by explorer Simon Fraser.
The Carp Lake fishery depends solely on natural reproduction. There is no stocking program. With increasing demand on the fishery, the catch and release program is encouraged. Using lures and flies, rather than bait, is just as successful for catching rainbow trout and is less harmful to the fish.
Anglers come from near and far to try their luck with fly or spinner for the lake’s succulent rainbow trout. The watershed above War Falls has isolated six fish species from the Peace River drainage. Rainbow trout averaging 500 grams and burbot are regularly caught by anglers. Northern Pikeminnow, two species of suckers and redside shiners can be found in park waters.
There is also a short loop trail that connects Carp Lake Campground with the McLeod River, providing access to fly fishing sites.
Carp Lake is popular for ice fishing as long as you have a snowmobile to travel to this lake. The main gate is left open during the winter months. There are no services but camping is possible under the picnic shelter. It has a large wood stove.
Anyone fishing in British Columbia must have an appropriate licence. To learn more, see the fishing and hunting guide.
There are no viewing platforms in this park but there are bridges over wet areas with interpretive signs highlighting special features and items of interest, particular to the park.
Abundant wildlife inhabits the park. Larger mammals such as black bears and deer are often seen. Moose frequently forage in the marshy areas about the lake and from time to time may be seen swimming to or from the islands. Waterfowl are prevalent during migratory and nesting periods. The haunting cry of the loon often echoes over the lake.
War Falls on the McLeod River, just downstream from the outlet of War Lake, are a scenic attraction easily accessible from the access road. The falls are comprised of two cascades separated by about 100 metres of rushing, white water. The upper falls are close to six metres in height and the lower falls are approximately 12 metres high.
Pets and domestic animals must be on a leash at all times and are not allowed in beach areas or park buildings. You are responsible for their behavior and must dispose of their excrement. Backcountry areas are not suitable for dogs or other pets due to the potential for problems with bears and other wildlife.
Please note that dogs are not permitted in Bert’s Cabin at any time.
Bicycles must keep to roadways.
Please note that bicycles with electric assist motors (e-bikes) are not allowed on the trails within Carp Lake Park. E-bikes are restricted to park roads and areas where motorized use is permitted. The only exception to this policy will be for authorized and identified trail maintenance bikes conducting work on behalf of BC Parks.
This park is open to hunting. Please check the Hunting & Trapping Regulations Synopsis for more information.
Anyone hunting in British Columbia must comply with BC hunting regulations. To learn more, see the fishing and hunting guide.
There is the possibility of back-country skiing, snowshoeing and winter camping in the park. There are no services but camping is possible under the picnic shelter which has a large wood stove. In Prince George and Mackenzie, organized clubs have groomed a network of trails. Snowmobiling is allowed in the park and most visitors come to ice fish or sight see; remain on roads that are not plowed and snowmobile on the lakes. There are organized snowmobile clubs in Prince George and Mackenzie.
Carp Lake is popular for ice fishing as long as you have a snowmobile to travel to this lake; the main gate is left open during the winter months.
Facilities
Accessibility information is available for Carp Lake Park and for War Lake Campground.
There is a double concrete boat launch at the Carp Lake campground that is capable of handling standard boat trailers, but caution should be exercised. After launching, trailers and towing vehicles must be returned to the campground or parking lot before going boating. There is a gravel car-top boat launch at War Lake.
The lake is subject to high winds and rough waters which can be responsible for swamping. Watch the weather and always wear your lifejacket. Powerboat operators are requested to please reduce speed in Kettle Bay to prevent damage to boats and equipment and to reduce erosion of the lakeshore.
The launching of personal watercraft or boats with above-water unmuffled exhausts is not permitted in Carp Lake Park.
Campfires are allowed and campfire rings are provided at each campsite. We encourage visitors to conserve wood and protect the environment by minimizing the use of fire and using campstoves instead.
Firewood can be purchased in the park or you may bring your own wood. Fees for firewood are set locally and may vary from park to park.
To preserve vegetation and ground cover, please don’t gather firewood from the area around your campsite or elsewhere in the park (this is a ticketable offence under the Park Act). Dead wood is an important habitat element for many plants and animals and it adds organic matter to the soil.
Campfire bans may be in place. Before lighting a fire, check for bans or restrictions on BC Wildfire Service and on local or Indigenous government websites.
Cold water taps are located throughout the park. Taps are shut off during the off-season. There are also hand-pumps available in the park.
There is a day-use area with picnic tables and a parking area. There is also a large picnic shelter with a wood stove.
There are 13 pit toilets, no flush toilets.
There is a playground and horseshoe pitches at the Carp Lake campground.
During the collecting season a sani-station and dump is available at the Carp Lake campground.
About this park
Carp Lake got its name through historical usage. Carrier peoples of the area went to the lake to “catch immense numbers of fish of the carp kind,” according to the journals of the explorer, Simon Fraser, who penned his comments in 1806 while he was at nearby Fort McLeod. It was the fish of Carp Lake that provided sustenance for Fraser and his followers at the fort when nearby McLeod Lake failed to keep them supplied. Only a few fish could be caught in McLeod Lake because, as Fraser reported, “the water was too high.”
The Carp Lake region has played a significant role in the history of British Columbia. In 1805 Simon Fraser, while in the employ of the Northwest Company, founded Trout Lake Fort at McLeod Lake, 32km northeast of Carp Lake. Later renamed Fort McLeod, it was the first permanent white settlement west of the Rocky Mountains in what is now British Columbia.
In 1806, Fraser journeyed south and west from Fort McLeod to Stuart Lake, where he built Fort St. James and established a lucrative fur trade with the Carrier peoples. A trail, long used by First Nations and soon to become an important route for the fur traders, connected Stuart Lake with McLeod Lake by way of Carp Lake. Remnants of this historical trail remain along the north and west sides of Carp Lake.
Carp Lake sits at an elevation of 841 metres on the Nechako Plateau, about 100 kilometres northwest of Prince George. Alder and willow fringe its shoreline, backed by a mixed forest of aspen, spruce and lodgepole pine that gently rises to heights of land about 300 metres above the lake level.
The whole of the lake lies in a glacial till plain consisting of thousands of grooves and drumlin-like ridges. (A drumlin is an oval or elongated hill of glacial drift). This accounts for the lake’s many-armed shape, its myriad islands, and its countless bays and coves.
Flowers, trees and shrubs are part of the park’s natural heritage, please don’t damage or remove them.
There is abundant wildlife in the park area. Larger mammals such as black bear and members of the deer family are often seen. Moose frequently forage in the marshy areas about the lake, and from time to time may be seen swimming to or from the islands.
Waterfowl are prevalent during migratory and nesting periods. The eerie cry of the loon often echoes over the lake, heralding the day’s end. And as in so many other places, the ubiquitous whisky jack visits with the camper, ever on the lookout for a handout, if proffered, or else to indulge in a little thievery.
Park users should always be aware of bears and other wildlife in our park environment. Never feed or approach bears or other wildlife.
Reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples
BC Parks honours Indigenous Peoples’ connection to the land and respects the importance of their diverse teachings, traditions, and practices within these territories. This park webpage may not adequately represent the full history of this park and the connection of Indigenous Peoples to this land. We are working in partnership with Indigenous Peoples to update our websites so that they better reflect the history and cultures of these special places.
Contact
| Reservations, changes, and cancellations | Our call centre is open from 7 am to 7 pm Pacific Time. There is a $5 fee for reservations, changes, or cancellations made by phone.
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| Park operator | This park is operated by Quartz Contracting. |
| General questions and feedback for BC Parks | We answer emails weekdays from 9 am to 5 pm Pacific Time. |
