Basalt Lake Fishing in Cariboo Regional District, British Columbia

• Overview

  Basalt Lake sits in Cariboo Regional District, out in British Columbia. Height above sea level is 1,103 metres. With some 59 hectares of water, there is room for a boat but no need of one. The perimeter runs near 5.1 km, so plan the walk before you start. The closest town, Anahim Lake, is 57 km away. The nearest city of size is Kamloops, 438 km away. No county line comes close, which keeps the paperwork simple.

• Where to Fish on Basalt Lake

  The records we hold are silent on depth, so plan to find it yourself. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Survey and observation records for Cariboo Regional District 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. Work Basalt Lake in sections rather than trying to cover it.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Temperature averages peak at 12°C in July and bottom out at -10°C in January. Expect a real winter and a strong spring after it. Ice-out usually falls in late April, and the weeks after it fish hardest. Averages place the thaw at late April and the freeze at mid November. The strongest runs come at either end of the open season. Expect Basalt Lake to follow that timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing on record says whether the bank is open or closed. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. Nothing is listed nearby for parking or launching a boat. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Some banks are open only from a marked point. Keep proof of licence with you rather than in the car. Failing this one, try Eliguk Lake, 4.5 km away. Nothing on Basalt Lake should be assumed from this page alone.