Captain Harry Lake, British Columbia: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  You will find Captain Harry Lake in Cariboo Regional District, British Columbia. It sits at 917 metres above sea level. This is sizeable water at about 3.24 sq km, and a boat opens up most of it. Around 16 km of bank, which is a long day on foot. Few waters listed in Cariboo Regional District are bigger. Nearest place of any size is Anahim Lake, 81 km away. Kamloops is the closest city, 464 km away. The county line is nowhere near, so one local authority covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Captain Harry Lake

  Depth is not on record here, which means reading the ground instead. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Records held for Cariboo Regional District cover 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. At Captain Harry Lake the first feature you find is worth twenty minutes.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July is the warm end of the year here, averaging about 13°C, while January sits near -9°C. Winter closes the water for a while, and the reopening is worth catching. Count the season from break-up, usually mid April. The season between ice runs from about mid April to mid November. Right after break-up, and again as the nights sharpen, is when to go. Keep it in mind when planning a trip to Captain Harry Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether the bank is open is not something our records settle. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. Access points are not mapped for this water, which suits people who like quiet. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. Parking space is the usual limit rather than the bank itself. Night access is frequently treated as a separate matter. If the gate is shut, Tsitelt Lake at 7.2 km is the nearest alternative. Signs at Captain Harry Lake carry more weight than any list.