NORTHERN BRITISH COLUMBIA - British Columbia: Including the Alaska Highway - page 589

TOPLEY TO TELKWA
Babine Lake
At Topley, 51 kilometers (32 miles) west of Burns Lake, a side road leads north to
177-kilometer-long (110-mile-long) Babine Lake, the province's largest natural lake and yet
another spot known for producing trophy-size rainbow trout, Dolly Varden, kokanee, coho
salmon, and whitefish.
Topley Landing, 30 kilometers (19 miles) from the Yellowhead Highway, is a former
trapping and trading center dating back to the 1700s. Beyond the landing, over the Fulton
River, is Red Bluff Provincial Park, named for iron-impregnated cliffs that descend
into the water. The park's small campground (519/826-6850 or 800/689-9025,
www.discovercamping.ca , May-Aug., $16) enjoys a picturesque lakefront location, but fa-
cilities are limited.
Houston
Like Burns Lake, Houston's welcoming sign also proudly bears a carved fish—this time a
steelhead. Houston calls itself “Steelhead Country,” for the only species of trout that mi-
grates to the ocean. The forestry town of 3,300 lies in the stunning Bulkley Valley, with the
Telkwa and Babine Ranges for a backdrop. As in the rest of this region, the local fishing
is superb. At the information center, pick up a copy of the local forestry district recreation
map, showing the area's rivers, lakes, logging roads, and campgrounds. The best steelhead
fishing is in the Morice River, on the northeast side of town, during late fall.
Houston Visitor Centre (Hwy. 16 at Benson Ave., 250/845-7640,
www.houstonchamber.ca , 9am-5pm daily July-Aug., weekdays only the rest of the year) is
easy to spot—out front is the world's largest fly-fishing rod.
Telkwa
As you continue west from Houston, the scenery gets more dramatic. You'll pass open
fields and rolling, densely forested hills, all the while surrounded by mountain peaks. The
neat little village of Telkwa lies at the confluence of the Bulkley and Telkwa Rivers, almost
exactly halfway between Prince George and Prince Rupert. Several species of anadromous
fish make spawning runs up the rivers here at various times of year—spring chinook sal-
mon in late June, coho salmon in August, and steelhead between fall and freeze-up. The
area also appeals to canoeists, offering stretches of water to suit novices through intermedi-
ates. Many of the buildings in the village date to 1908 and 1924.