Chilanko Forks & Puntzi Lake

Chilanko Forks is an unincorporated settlement as well as a First Nations community of the Tsilhqot’in (sill-ko-teen) people, located on Hwy 20, 176 km (107 mi) west of Williams Lake, on the north bank of the Chilanko River, between Redstone to the east and Tatla Lake to the west.

Home to the Chilanko Forks Wildlife Management Area, a protected marshland for waterfowl, the region is a great place for bird watching and wildlife viewing in the summer months. Fishing is also popular in the area in both summer and winter on nearby Puntzi Lake.

Well known for biking and hiking trails, canoeing, kayaking, fishing, and hunting, Puntzi Lake (60km/37mi west of Alexis Creek and 11km/7mi off the highway at Chilanko Forks) is also a major draw for bird watchers. The American White Pelican uses the lake as a food source in early spring and throughout the summer, while Trumpeter Swans feed in the fall until the lake freezes over. Several fishing resorts and serviced RV campsites are located around the lake. Activities here are typically spring, summer and fall focused, so the lake’s kokanee and rainbow trout get a reprieve during winter snowmobiling season.

Accommodations & Attractions