Fishing Balfour Lake in Cariboo Regional District, British Columbia

• Overview

  Balfour Lake belongs to Cariboo Regional District, British Columbia. The bank is 1,112 metres above sea level. It measures about 16 hectares, which is a comfortable size for bank fishing. There is roughly 2.3 km of shoreline here, which is a short walk end to end. On size it sits at the modest end of our Cariboo Regional District list. Supplies mean a trip to 100 Mile House, 33 km off. Kamloops is the closest city, 119 km away. One jurisdiction covers this water end to end.

• Where to Fish on Balfour Lake

  There is no published depth for this one, so start shallow and work out. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. Reported across Cariboo Regional District: sockeye salmon, Chinook salmon, bull trout, Coho salmon and longnose sucker. Some of the species recorded here are protected or tightly regulated, so check what may be targeted before you fish. Work Balfour Lake in sections rather than trying to cover it.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages here run 14°C at the top of summer and -8°C at the bottom of winter. The freeze arrives properly here and holds. The freeze runs deep into the year, with break-up near mid April. Climate averages put the opening at about mid April and the closing near mid November. From the thaw to midsummer the fishing improves week by week. On Balfour Lake the same rules apply, with local timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access status is simply unknown for this water. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. Nothing formal is recorded here: no ramp, no car park, no marked path. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Bank access can be seasonal on ground like this. Signs go up and come down, so check on the day. The nearest alternative is Dragonfly Lake, 1.5 km out. What applies at Balfour Lake may have changed since it was mapped.