Keno Lake in Cariboo Regional District: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  In British Columbia, Keno Lake belongs to Cariboo Regional District. The setting is rolling bush. About 2.29 sq km, so local knowledge or a boat saves a lot of walking. The outline measures near 14 km, so local knowledge counts. It ranks high for size among our Cariboo Regional District listings. Williams Lake sits 79 km from the bank. For a city, Kamloops is 210 km off. The county line is nowhere near, so one local authority covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Keno Lake

  Without a survey to go on, judge depth from how the bank falls away. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Reported across Cariboo Regional District: sockeye salmon, Chinook salmon, bull trout and Coho salmon. Protected fish appear in the records for this area, so treat the list as information, not an invitation. At Keno Lake the first feature you find is worth twenty minutes.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Between January at about -7°C and July at about 15°C, the water has a wide range to work through. Cold locks it up for a good stretch each year. Count on hard cover from midwinter, and open water from early April. Averages suggest open water from about early April through to roughly late November. September and October fish steadily right up to the freeze. Anyone fishing Keno Lake regularly works to that calendar.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing in our records says who may fish here. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. The map shows no ramp or car park nearby, so this is a walk-in water. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Ask in the nearest town if you are unsure. Signs go up and come down, so check on the day. Jacques Lake, 2.8 km away, makes the obvious fallback. Rules at Keno Lake are worth checking on the day.