A 75-year-old trucker with a passion for fishing is in good condition after he was stranded overnight on Frances Lake, the RCMP report.

While travelling south along the Alaska Highway on Tuesday, the Edmonton resident inquired at the Watson Lake weigh scales about a good spot to go fishing, and was told about Frances Lake.

He drove his tractor-trailer unit the hour and a half up the Robert Campbell Highway and unloaded his 10-foot aluminum boat and a small kicker at the campground boat launch.

While out on the lake, however, he ran out of gas.

At about 8 p.m., the trucker used his satellite phone to call the weigh scales and report he was adrift, that it was snowing and he was wet and needed help.

Watson Lake Cpl. Tom Howell said because of the weather and darkness, they were unable to get a plane in the air.

But the trucker, whose name is not being released, called about three hours later to indicate he'd reached shore and was able to start a fire.

Howell said preparations were made to fly at first light, while RCMP Const. Lynden Morrison and conservation officer Mark Brodhagen left early and arrived at the Frances Lake Campground at about 5:30 a.m.

Howell and a pilot with Northern Rockies Air Charter left at dawn yesterday in a de Havilland Beaver.

They decided to fly south from the boat launch, given the direction of the prevailing winds the day before and likelihood of which way he had drifted.

They located the angler about five kilometres down Frances Lake, on the same side as the campground, Howell said this morning.

"He was cold, but he was OK,” the corporal said. "There was no medical issues other than a normal person being cold.

"He had a good size fire, but again, he was very wet and tired because he had to stay up and keep the fire going.”

Howell said they assisted the senior into the float plane and flew him back to the campground and his rig where he was able to warm up in the cab.

Lynden and Morrison used their boat to retrieve his boat, helped him load it and the trucker was on his way.

The corporal said he did not impress upon the angler the need to take circumstances into account before embarking on such an outing. He figured the experience spoke for itself.

Weather conditions aside, Frances Lake is a big lake. Being out there alone in a 10-foot aluminum boat probably wasn't the best choice to begin with, Howell suggested.

The RCMP are reminding the public that anybody planning an excursion into the backcountry should be familiar with survival techniques and should carry adequate supplies and shelter.

A trip plan should always be filed with a responsible person and if possible, individuals should carry as means of communication.