McClain is a stocked stillwater in the Duncan Lake watershed. Surface area not recorded.
The water
McClain sits in the Duncan Lake watershed, covering surface area not recorded.
Stocking
For an angler judging whether the fishing is worth the drive, the stocking record is the fishing report. McClain is a put-and-take angling fishery, stocked with catchable game fish: 67 recorded releases totalling 142,479 fish (Rainbow Trout, Westslope (Yellowstone) Cutthroat Trout), last stocked 2026-06-15.
McClain — 134,979 fish stocked, 1971–2026
Rainbow Trout, Cutthroat Trout. Source: Province of BC — FIDQ / FISS Fish Releases via the Freshwater Fisheries Society of BC.
| Year | Rainbow Trout | Cutthroat Trout |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 750 | · |
| 2025 | 750 | · |
| 2024 | 750 | · |
| 2023 | 750 | · |
| 2022 | 750 | · |
| 2021 | 750 | · |
| 2020 | 750 | · |
| 2019 | 750 | · |
| 2018 | 750 | · |
| 2017 | 1,505 | · |
| 2016 | 1,500 | · |
| 2015 | 750 | · |
| 2014 | 750 | · |
| 2013 | 3,124 | · |
| 2012 | 1,000 | · |
| 2011 | 1,000 | · |
| 2010 | 1,000 | · |
| 2009 | 1,000 | · |
| 2008 | 1,000 | · |
| 2007 | 1,000 | · |
| 2006 | 1,000 | · |
| 2005 | 1,000 | · |
| 2003 | 2,000 | · |
| 2002 | 2,000 | · |
| 2001 | 2,000 | · |
| 2000 | 2,000 | · |
| 1999 | 2,000 | · |
| 1998 | 2,000 | · |
| 1997 | 2,000 | · |
| 1996 | 2,000 | · |
| 1995 | 2,000 | · |
| 1994 | 2,000 | · |
| 1993 | 2,000 | · |
| 1992 | 2,000 | · |
| 1991 | 5,000 | · |
| 1990 | 5,000 | · |
| 1989 | 5,000 | · |
| 1988 | 5,000 | · |
| 1987 | 5,000 | · |
| 1986 | 5,000 | · |
| 1985 | 5,000 | · |
| 1984 | 5,000 | · |
| 1983 | 5,000 | 3,500 |
| 1982 | 5,000 | · |
| 1981 | 5,000 | 3,300 |
| 1980 | 5,000 | · |
| 1979 | 5,000 | · |
| 1978 | 800 | · |
| 1977 | 3,000 | · |
| 1976 | 3,000 | · |
| 1975 | 3,000 | · |
| 1972 | 3,000 | · |
| 1971 | 4,000 | · |
It is still stocked (most recent release 2026-06-15), so it fishes as a put-grow water: this season's fish come from the latest cohorts, topped up to keep it going. The chart below shows the release history by year and species.
The fishing
McClain fishes as a put-grow stillwater: work chironomids under an indicator over the shoals in spring, then leech and attractor retrieves along the drop-offs as the shallows warm. The stocking record below is the truest read on the size and cohort of fish you will find.
Access & the rules
Confirm the launch, parking and any motor/float or seasonal restrictions for McClain locally before you commit a day; the map shows where the lake sits in its drainage.
