Hastings Lake, British Columbia: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Look for Hastings Lake in Thompson-Nicola Regional District, British Columbia. Everything around it is rolling bush. At 5 hectares it is the sort of place you fish for an evening rather than a day. On size it sits at the modest end of our Thompson-Nicola Regional District list. Merritt is the closest town at 36 km. Kelowna is the closest city, 88 km away. No county line comes close, which keeps the paperwork simple.

• Where to Fish on Hastings Lake

  Depth is not on record here, which means reading the ground instead. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Survey and observation records for Thompson-Nicola Regional District include Chinook salmon, sockeye salmon, Coho salmon and rainbow trout. Some of the species recorded here are protected or tightly regulated, so check what may be targeted before you fish. Take Hastings Lake a stretch at a time.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warm month here averages 16°C; the cold one sits at -6°C. Spring and autumn carry the fishing; summer and winter test it. After early April the shallows warm and the fish move up. Going by climate averages, expect open water from about early April until roughly late November. Early summer and early autumn carry the open-water season. Anyone fishing Hastings Lake regularly works to that calendar.

• Tackle & Baits

  The paperwork position is blank for this one. There is no recorded infrastructure here; expect to find your own way in. Light line and small metal for the trout; a fly rod earns its place on calm evenings. Provincial rules still apply whatever the bank status. Some water is controlled locally without a sign saying so. Thalia Lake at 3.8 km is the sensible second choice. Treat Hastings Lake as unsettled until someone local tells you otherwise.