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

• Overview

  The Cariboo Regional District entry here is Lastman Lake, in British Columbia. The land about it is lake country bush. It measures about 49 hectares, which is a comfortable size for bank fishing. The perimeter runs near 5.3 km, so plan the walk before you start. For a base, Hanceville sits 78 km out. Pemberton follows at 128 km, then Mount Currie at 131 km. This one is safely inside the county line.

• Where to Fish on Lastman Lake

  Depth here is unknown, so count the lead down before committing. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Open biodiversity records for Cariboo Regional District list sockeye salmon, Chinook salmon, bull trout, Coho salmon and longnose sucker. At least one recorded species is protected in parts of its range; read the local rules before targeting anything. On Lastman Lake that means starting tight and working out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Average temperature peaks around 11°C in August and bottoms out near -9°C in December. The middle months are generous; the ends are demanding. Ice-out usually falls in early May, and the weeks after it fish hardest. Break-up near early May, freeze-up near mid November: that is the shape of an average year. Just after the ice goes and just before it returns, the fishing lifts. Plan around that when you fish Lastman Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public sources are silent on who controls the bank. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. Access is unmapped, which usually means a farm track and a walk. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. Check whether a boat is allowed before you tow one. Signs go up and come down, so check on the day. Lower Taseko Lake, 5.7 km away, makes the obvious fallback. Confirm before you fish Lastman Lake.