Bishop Lake Fishing near 100 Mile House, British Columbia

• Overview

  British Columbia holds Bishop Lake, in Cariboo Regional District. The land about it is mixed forest. With some 39 hectares of water, there is room for a boat but no need of one. With about 3.3 km of edge, you can try several depths in one session. Head to 100 Mile House, 26 km away, for anything you forgot. It is 118 km to Kamloops, the nearest city. The nearest boundary is well away, so one set of rules covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Bishop Lake

  The records we hold are silent on depth, so plan to find it yourself. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Across Cariboo Regional District, recorded fish include sockeye salmon, Chinook salmon, bull trout and Coho salmon. Some of the species recorded here are protected or tightly regulated, so check what may be targeted before you fish. Bishop Lake gives up more to patience than to distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  In an average year July sits at 14°C and January at -9°C. Cold winters and warm summers give a wide working range. The open season starts with the thaw, near enough mid April. Break-up near mid April, freeze-up near mid November: that is the shape of an average year. Reckon on open water from spring through to late autumn, with May and June the strongest. Plan any trip to Bishop Lake around it.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether you may fish here is not something records settle. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. Nothing is mapped in the way of a ramp or car park within a short radius. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Sort the permit out before you load the car. Signs go up and come down, so check on the day. The nearest alternative is Bullock Lake, 2.1 km out. For Bishop Lake in particular, ask before you travel.