Chartrand Lake, British Columbia: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  You will find Chartrand Lake in Thompson-Nicola Regional District, British Columbia. Mixed forest runs right down to the water. Roughly 56 hectares: a morning covers one end, an afternoon the other. Shoreline comes to about 3.9 km, small enough to learn in a day. It ranks high for size among our Thompson-Nicola Regional District listings. Cache Creek sits 36 km from the bank. The big place round here is Kamloops, 65 km distant. It sits well inside its county, with no border complications.

• Where to Fish on Chartrand Lake

  No published figure covers depth, so learn it as you fish. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. County-wide records name Chinook salmon, sockeye salmon and Coho salmon. At least one recorded species is protected in parts of its range; read the local rules before targeting anything. Read Chartrand Lake for ten minutes before the first cast goes out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Seasonal averages run from -8°C in January up to 14°C in August. Spring and autumn carry the fishing; summer and winter test it. After mid April the shallows warm and the fish move up. In an average year the thaw lands around mid April and the freeze near mid November. The strongest runs come at either end of the open season. Chartrand Lake runs to that rhythm year in and year out.

• Tackle & Baits

  The paperwork position is blank for this one. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. We find no slipway, car park or made path within a short radius, so treat access as rough. Light line and small metal for the trout; a fly rod earns its place on calm evenings. Check whether a boat is allowed before you tow one. Night access is frequently treated as a separate matter. Failing this one, try Mowich Lake, 7.4 km away. Ask locally about Chartrand Lake if anything is unclear.