Dease Lake was initially established as a Hudson’s Bay trading post in 1838. Attention was again centered in the Dease Lake area with the Cassiar gold rush in the 1870s and also when it became a major transportation route into the north. In l941 Dease Lake became a major transportation hub for supplies being transported to the troops building the Alaska Highway.
Dease Lake has also become known as "the Jade Capital of the World" due to its large jade holdings northeast of the town. Gift stores specialize in local jade and gold. The largest town along the Stewart-Cassiar, Dease Lake is now a government service and supply center for the northwest, and is a departure point for those wishing to fish or explore the Dease River or for hiking and camping in the surrounding wilderness.
The Dease River, which flows for about 160 miles north from Dease Lake through Boya Lake Provincial Park to the Liard River, was one of the most significant waterways in the province. It has become popular for good grayling fishing and as a serene, week-long paddling route, offering mostly class l and ll rapids. The lake itself offers good fishing for char, burbot and whitefish; fishing access is available in town, along Highway 37. This area of British Columbia is widely held to offer the most spectacular scenery and abundant wildlife in the entire province.
The town offers plentiful accommodations, a campground, restaurants, laundry facilities, service stations and a Parks office.
