Vancouver Islands Lake Helen Mckenzie is a very pretty lake set amongst the high-altitude forests of forbidden plateau in Strathcona Park. The lake is located to the west of battleship lake and is a great day hike. It is reached by a 6.8 km return hike from the paradise meadows trailhead near the Mount Washington ski area.
The lake is a 55-hectare lake that offers some excellent fishing for stocked rainbow trout. The rainbows average about 35 to 45 cm in length, but a few get to be around 1 to 1.5 kg in weight.
Try your luck with a fly rod for some great fighting fish, or you can fish from shore using bobbers or spin casting, any of these methods will get you some fish. Fishing is best from early July until October due to the high altitude and the fact that the lake is iced over until June most years and cannot be fished any earlier.
Since this lake is so close to the parking lot and the trail is easy, it is quite possible to carry in a float tube for fishing. The walk is mostly on boardwalk so the going is quite easy so to take in a float tube and this would put you out in the lake where the big ones are, of course, if you wait till evening, the night bite just before dark will produce lots of bites just off the shore.
When you reach the lake, look around for the whiskey jacks, this is usually the first place that you see them, but watch out, they will swarm you if they can. These little birds are just awesome, no fear of man at all, be prepared to have them land all over you, they like pepperoni and granola bars.