Ben Lake in Cariboo Regional District: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  British Columbia holds Ben Lake, in Cariboo Regional District. The bank is 749 metres above sea level. Roughly 52 hectares: a morning covers one end, an afternoon the other. The bank runs about 3.6 km all the way round, so one visit can cover most of it. The closest town, Williams Lake, is 50 km away. Further out sit Quesnel (50 km) and Hanceville (98 km). The county line is nowhere near, so one local authority covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Ben Lake

  Depth is unknown to us, and the shoreline is the better guide. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Reported across Cariboo Regional District: sockeye salmon, Chinook salmon, bull trout, Coho salmon and longnose sucker. At least one recorded species is protected in parts of its range; read the local rules before targeting anything. At Ben Lake the first feature you find is worth twenty minutes.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Climate records put July near 15°C and January near -8°C. Fishing here follows the temperature more than the calendar. Ice is part of the season here, ending near early April. Average temperatures cross freezing around early April in spring and again near late November in autumn. September and October fish steadily right up to the freeze. That shapes the year on Ben Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Who may fish here is not settled in anything we hold. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. Nothing in the way of made access shows up nearby: no ramp, no car park, no path. Light line and small metal for the trout; a fly rod earns its place on calm evenings. Check whether a boat is allowed before you tow one. A polite question at the farm gate opens more banks than anything else. Failing this one, try Skelton Lake, 3.1 km away. Check the position on Ben Lake before loading the car.