Haystack Lakes near Keremeos: Fishing Spots, Seasons and Access

• Overview

  Set in Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen, Haystack Lakes is a British Columbia water. The surroundings are pine and birch. Surface area runs to about 7 hectares — small enough to read in one session. It sits higher than most water we list in British Columbia. Supplies mean a trip to Keremeos, 28 km off. The nearest city of size is Kelowna, 105 km away. No border sits close enough to matter.

• Where to Fish on Haystack Lakes

  No depth figure appears in our records, so the bank has to tell you. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Across Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen, recorded fish include sockeye salmon, rainbow trout, Coho salmon and common carp. Some of the species recorded here are protected or tightly regulated, so check what may be targeted before you fish. Fish Haystack Lakes where the bottom changes rather than where it looks deep.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Typical August readings run about 10°C; by December the average is down near -9°C. Hard water is a season in its own right here. The open season starts with the thaw, near enough late May. Open water usually runs from late May until about early November. Early summer and early autumn carry the open-water season. Haystack Lakes fishes to that pattern most years.

• Tackle & Baits

  Our records carry no access rule either way. A campsite is mapped about 760 m away, which makes an early start easier. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. Rules differ from one water to the next round here. Where tickets apply, they are sold in the nearest town rather than on the bank. Goat Lake sits 5.1 km off and takes the overflow. For Haystack Lakes, the notice at the access point is the final word.