Coleman Creek flows out of Darlington Lake, located on Bamfield Road just west of the old Franklin Camp Site. The creek is a great little fishing spot where you can catch some nice size cutthroat trout and a few big dollies as well. There is a winter and summer run of steelhead here and the salmon runs are awesome to watch at the lower end. You can gain access to this creek from the Bamfield Road on the east side of the creek, or from the Coleman Creek Road on the west side of the creek.
Darlington Lake is one of two lakes that are just past the Franklin River shop on the way to Bamfield, The other lake is Francis Lake. This lake is only 13 hectares in size. It has some good fishing for Rainbow Trout and you can catch a fair size Dolly once in a while. The lake is quite deep, and you can troll for the big ones. The lake is best fished in the spring or fall. There are no rec sites on Coleman Creek or on Darlington Lake, but there is a nice rec side with a boat launch on Francis Lake. There are plenty of places to set up a wilderness campsite though.
This whole area is full of old trestles and rail grades that just beckon for your camera and the wildlife here is pretty incredible, you could see bears, wolves, cougars, deer, elk, raccoons, pine martins and many other types of small creatures and the birdlife is awesome, so take a drive out here to see the sights and remember to bring your camera. This is a very beautiful part of Vancouver Island.