Billy Lake in Thompson-Nicola Regional District: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Set in Thompson-Nicola Regional District, Billy Lake is a British Columbia water. It lies 1,454 metres above sea level. Roughly 27 hectares: a morning covers one end, an afternoon the other. Roughly 3.5 km of bank means you can walk to a fresh area when one goes quiet. It is high ground by British Columbia standards. Logan Lake lies 11 km from the water. Merritt is 34 km away, with Ashcroft at 44 km. It sits well inside its county, with no border complications.

• Where to Fish on Billy Lake

  Without a survey to go on, judge depth from how the bank falls away. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Fish documented in Thompson-Nicola Regional District include Chinook salmon, sockeye salmon, Coho salmon and rainbow trout. Some of the species recorded here are protected or tightly regulated, so check what may be targeted before you fish. Treat Billy Lake as a water to read rather than to cover.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages move between -7°C in December and 14°C in August. Expect a real winter and a strong spring after it. Count the season from break-up, usually mid April. Going by climate averages, expect open water from about mid April until roughly mid November. The weeks after the thaw and the ones before the freeze are the strongest. The season on Billy Lake follows the weather closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access is not recorded for this water. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. A slipway 580 m out gives trailer access. A camping area sits within 600 m of here. Light line and small metal for the trout; a fly rod earns its place on calm evenings. Where a permit is needed, the nearest town usually sells it. Keep proof of licence with you rather than in the car. LeRoy Lake sits 2.3 km off and takes the overflow. What applies at Billy Lake may have changed since it was mapped.