Barkley Lake Fishing near Williams Lake, British Columbia

• Overview

  In British Columbia, Barkley Lake falls inside Cariboo Regional District. The bank gives way to mixed forest. At 2 hectares it is the sort of place you fish for an evening rather than a day. On size it sits at the modest end of our Cariboo Regional District list. The town to know is Williams Lake, 27 km out. Hanceville is 41 km away, with 108 Mile Ranch at 80 km. It sits well inside the county, so one set of rules covers it.

• Where to Fish on Barkley Lake

  Depth figures are not published for this one. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. County-wide records name sockeye salmon, Chinook salmon, bull trout and Coho salmon. Several of these carry legal protection or closed seasons; the rulebook comes before the rod. On Barkley Lake the obvious spot is not always the productive one.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warm month here averages 15°C; the cold one sits at -10°C. Seasons are distinct, and each one fishes differently. Count the season from break-up, usually mid April. Averages place the thaw at mid April and the freeze at late November. The shoulder weeks of the open season are the productive ones. Plan around that when you fish Barkley Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether you may fish here is not something records settle. No built facilities appear in mapping around this water. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Sort the permit out before you load the car. Fishing rules and camping rules are set separately here. For a change of water, Lake Jackson is 0.7 km distant. Treat access at Barkley Lake as something to verify.