Fishing Crater Lake in Thompson-Nicola Regional District, British Columbia

• Overview

  You will find Crater Lake in Thompson-Nicola Regional District, British Columbia. Height above sea level is 995 metres. At about 18 hectares, a day is enough to walk the shoreline properly. Bank access stretches around 2.0 km in total. Merritt sits 26 km from here and is the nearest stop. Kelowna is the closest city, 77 km away. The nearest boundary is a fair way off.

• Where to Fish on Crater Lake

  Depth is unmeasured here, so let the shoreline guide you. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Records held for Thompson-Nicola Regional District cover Chinook salmon, sockeye salmon, Coho salmon, rainbow trout and pink salmon. At least one recorded species is protected in parts of its range; read the local rules before targeting anything. At Crater Lake light and wind decide more than tackle does.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The year swings from about -7°C in January to roughly 16°C in August. A full turn of seasons, with the strongest sport on either side of summer. The open season starts with the thaw, near enough early April. On average, early April opens the water and late November closes it again. Fishing peaks soon after break-up and again before the cold returns. Time your trip to Crater Lake by conditions rather than dates.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access is not recorded for this water. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. This sits inside Kentucky-Alleyne Provincial Park, so read the reserve notices first. Light line and small metal for the trout; a fly rod earns its place on calm evenings. Take the rules with you rather than trusting memory. Some water is controlled locally without a sign saying so. Should this one be busy, Alleyne Lake is 0.9 km off. None of that is settled for Crater Lake in what we hold.