Fishing at Fish Lake, Cariboo Regional District, British Columbia

• Overview

  Fish Lake stands in Cariboo Regional District, British Columbia. Beyond the shoreline you have mixed forest. The water covers some 13 hectares, so pick a bank rather than trying to cover it all. Bank access stretches around 2.2 km in total. On size it sits at the modest end of our Cariboo Regional District list. Nearest place of any size is 108 Mile Ranch, 22 km away. It is 145 km to Kamloops, the nearest city. It sits well inside the county, so one set of rules covers it.

• Where to Fish on Fish Lake

  Open data we checked carries no depth for this water. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Species logged across Cariboo Regional District include sockeye salmon, Chinook salmon, bull trout, Coho salmon and longnose sucker. Several of these carry legal protection or closed seasons; the rulebook comes before the rod. Anyone new to Fish Lake should walk it once before setting up.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warmest month averages 14°C, the coldest about -8°C. Cold winters and warm summers give a wide working range. The freeze runs deep into the year, with break-up near mid April. Going by climate averages, expect open water from about mid April until roughly mid November. June through September is the settled part of the year, with the shoulders busier for fish. Keep it in mind when planning a trip to Fish Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  There is no clear statement anywhere on who can fish it. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. You can camp about 1.2 km away, going by the mapping. There are toilets mapped about 1.4 km away. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Look for a notice board at the entrance. Keep proof of licence with you rather than in the car. For a change of water, Rock Lake is 0.8 km distant. For Fish Lake, the notice at the access point is the final word.