Chain Lake near Princeton: Fishing Spots, Seasons and Access

• Overview

  Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen in British Columbia is where Chain Lake sits. Height above sea level is 1,008 metres. The water covers some 44 hectares, so pick a bank rather than trying to cover it all. The bank runs about 4.0 km all the way round, so one visit can cover most of it. Some 32 km away sits Princeton, the nearest settlement. It is 60 km to Kelowna, the nearest city. This one is safely inside the county line.

• Where to Fish on Chain Lake

  Nothing in our records gives a depth for this one. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Open biodiversity records for Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen list sockeye salmon, rainbow trout, Coho salmon, common carp and Chinook salmon. Protected fish appear in the records for this area, so treat the list as information, not an invitation. Chain Lake repays a walk before the first cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Seasonal averages run from -7°C in December up to 15°C in August. A full turn of seasons, with the strongest sport on either side of summer. Expect a solid lid for months and a thaw around early April. Ice usually gives way near early April, and forms again about late November. June through September is the settled part of the year, with the shoulders busier for fish. Expect Chain Lake to follow that timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether you may fish here is not something records settle. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. Overnight stays are possible about 340 m out, where camping is mapped. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. Rules differ from one water to the next round here. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. Secret Lake, 2.5 km away, makes the obvious fallback. Nothing on Chain Lake should be assumed from this page alone.