Clearwater Lake, British Columbia: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  In British Columbia, Clearwater Lake falls inside Cariboo Regional District. It lies 947 metres above sea level. This is sizeable water at about 2.17 sq km, and a boat opens up most of it. There is roughly 9.1 km of bank, more than one visit can cover properly. Size puts it in the front rank of our Cariboo Regional District list. 54 km away sits Anahim Lake, the nearest town. Bella Coola is 125 km away, with Hanceville at 135 km. No boundary runs near, so the local rules hold throughout.

• Where to Fish on Clearwater Lake

  We hold no depth figure for this one. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Cariboo Regional District records list sockeye salmon, Chinook salmon and bull trout among the fish reported. Several of these carry legal protection or closed seasons; the rulebook comes before the rod. On Clearwater Lake the quiet end is the one worth the extra effort.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages move between -9°C in January and 13°C in July. The freeze arrives properly here and holds. The lid usually sets by midwinter and gives way around mid April. Open water usually runs from mid April until about mid November. Early summer and early autumn carry the open-water season. Anyone fishing Clearwater Lake regularly works to that calendar.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing in our records says who may fish here. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. A jetty or pier is mapped about 590 m from here. A campsite is mapped about 1.4 km away, which makes an early start easier. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. Check locally before you travel, because a wasted drive is a long one. Where parking is tight, arriving early solves most problems. For a change of water, Big Stick Lake is 6 km distant.