Fishing Donnely Lake in Cariboo Regional District, British Columbia

• Overview

  Donnely Lake sits within Cariboo Regional District in British Columbia. This is lake country bush country. The water covers some 99 hectares, so pick a bank rather than trying to cover it all. The outline measures near 6.0 km, so local knowledge counts. 44 km away sits 100 Mile House, the nearest town. Beyond it, Clearwater at 46 km and 108 Mile Ranch at 48 km. No county line comes close, which keeps the paperwork simple.

• Where to Fish on Donnely Lake

  Depth went unrecorded, which puts the reading back on you. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Fish documented in Cariboo Regional District include sockeye salmon, Chinook salmon and bull trout. Protected fish appear in the records for this area, so treat the list as information, not an invitation. At Donnely Lake the water rewards a slow, careful approach.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Climate normals give 15°C for July and -8°C for January. The year runs cold to warm and back, with clear transitions. Expect a solid lid for months and a thaw around early April. Break-up sits around early April on average, with the water closing again about late November. Spring is short and heavy here; autumn is longer and steadier. The season on Donnely Lake rarely departs from it.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access status is simply unknown for this water. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. A campsite lies 1.3 km away for anyone staying over. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Check locally before you travel, because a wasted drive is a long one. Keep proof of licence with you rather than in the car. Lorin Lake at 3.8 km is the sensible second choice. Nothing on Donnely Lake should be assumed from this page alone.