Alah Lake, British Columbia: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Alah Lake is a Cariboo Regional District water, in British Columbia. Rolling bush runs right down to the water. Around 28 hectares of surface means several distinct areas to work. Shoreline comes to about 2.5 km, small enough to learn in a day. The nearest town is Williams Lake, 60 km away. Further out sit 108 Mile Ranch (71 km) and 100 Mile House (82 km). It sits well inside its county, with no border complications.

• Where to Fish on Alah Lake

  There is no published depth for this one, so start shallow and work out. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Across Cariboo Regional District, recorded fish include sockeye salmon, Chinook salmon, bull trout, Coho salmon and longnose sucker. Several of these carry legal protection or closed seasons; the rulebook comes before the rod. On Alah Lake the obvious spot is not always the productive one.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July runs about 16°C on average, January about -7°C. The middle months are generous; the ends are demanding. The lid usually sets by midwinter and gives way around early April. Average temperatures cross freezing around early April in spring and again near late November in autumn. The weeks after the thaw and the ones before the freeze are the strongest. That shapes the year on Alah Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Our records carry no access rule either way. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. Mapping records no facilities at all near this water. Light line and small metal for the trout; a fly rod earns its place on calm evenings. Provincial rules still apply whatever the bank status. Some water is controlled locally without a sign saying so. Should this one be busy, Gruhs Lake is 2.4 km off. Where Alah Lake is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.