Big Meadow Lake near Naramata: Fishing Spots, Seasons and Access

• Overview

  Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen in British Columbia is where Big Meadow Lake sits. It stands 1,604 metres above sea level. About 1.7 km of bank, so nothing stays unexplored for long. On our Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen list it sits near the top for size. You are 13 km from Naramata. Further out sit Okanagan Mission (16 km) and Summerland (17 km). It lies deep inside the county rather than near an edge.

• Where to Fish on Big Meadow Lake

  The records we hold are silent on depth, so plan to find it yourself. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Open biodiversity records for Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen list sockeye salmon, rainbow trout and Coho salmon. At least one recorded species is protected in parts of its range; read the local rules before targeting anything. The shape of Big Meadow Lake decides where the fish sit.

• Seasonal Patterns

  In an average year August sits at 13°C and January at -8°C. Cold winters and warm summers give a wide working range. Look for the thaw near late April; the fishing lifts straight after. Break-up near late April, freeze-up near mid November: that is the shape of an average year. Just after the ice goes and just before it returns, the fishing lifts. Big Meadow Lake fishes to that pattern most years.

• Tackle & Baits

  No access rule appears in what we hold. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. Access points are not mapped for this water, which suits people who like quiet. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Provincial rules still apply whatever the bank status. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. The nearest alternative is Corporation Lake, 2.1 km out. Check the current arrangement for Big Meadow Lake.