Fishing Joes Lake in Cariboo Regional District, British Columbia

• Overview

  Joes Lake is one of the Cariboo Regional District waters in British Columbia. It sits at 1,060 metres above sea level. It runs to roughly 29 hectares — big enough to hold fish away from the bank, small enough to learn. Shoreline comes to about 3.3 km, small enough to learn in a day. The closest town, Williams Lake, is 44 km distant. 108 Mile Ranch lies 58 km off, Hanceville another 60 km. It lies deep inside the county rather than near an edge.

• Where to Fish on Joes Lake

  We hold no survey for this water; read the slope of the shoreline instead. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Public occurrence data for Cariboo Regional District names sockeye salmon, Chinook salmon, bull trout, Coho salmon and longnose sucker. Some of the species recorded here are protected or tightly regulated, so check what may be targeted before you fish. On Joes Lake that means starting tight and working out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages here run 16°C at the top of summer and -9°C at the bottom of winter. Hard water is a season in its own right here. Break-up comes around early April, and the run that follows is short and strong. The open-water window runs from around early April to about late November in an average year. September and October fish steadily right up to the freeze. Anyone fishing Joes Lake regularly works to that calendar.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access status is simply unknown for this water. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. No car park, ramp or path is recorded within easy reach of the shore. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. Where a permit is needed, the nearest town usually sells it. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. The nearest alternative is Alkali Lake, 5.2 km out. For Joes Lake in particular, ask before you travel.