Population: 450

Dease Lake is located in northwestern British Columbia on the Cassiar Highway, at its junction with Telegraph Creek Road, 146 miles south of the Alaska Highway and 304 miles north of the Yellowhead Highway.

Visitor Information: at the Northway Motor Inn and the Arctic Divide Lodge.

The lake was named in 1834 by John McLeod of the Hudson’s Bay Co. for Chief Factor Peter Warren Dease. Laketon, across the lake, was a centre for boat building during the Cassiar gold rush of 1872–1880. In 1874, William Moore, following an old Indian trail, cut a trail from Telegraph Creek on the Stikine River to the gold rush settlement on Dease Lake. This trail became Telegraph Creek Road, which was used in 1941 to haul supplies for construction of the Alaska Highway and Watson Lake Airport to Dease Lake. The supplies were then ferried down the Dease River.

Today, Dease Lake is a government centre and supply point for the district. Northern Lights College (University of Northern British Columbia) has a campus here.

Dease Lake has all visitor services. Hotel rooms at the Northway Motor Inn  and Arctic Divide Lodge. Dining at the Super A grocery store’s deli and food trailers (with limited availability and hours).

Camping in town, north of town at Water’s Edge Campground; and camping south of town at Dease Lake Lions Tanzilla River Campground, phone 250-771-5101.

Attractions:

  • Grand Canyon of the Stikine and historic Telegraph Creek.
  • Fly-in, hike-in or pack-in to Mount Edziza and Spatsizi wilderness parks.