Long Lake Fishing near Westsyde, British Columbia

• Overview

  In British Columbia, Long Lake belongs to Thompson-Nicola Regional District. The country here is pine and birch. The water covers some 23 hectares, so pick a bank rather than trying to cover it all. With about 3.6 km of edge, you can try several depths in one session. Nearest town is Westsyde, 4.5 km off. For a city, Kamloops is 14 km off. The county line is nowhere near, so one local authority covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Long Lake

  Depth is not on record here, so the bank has to tell you. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. County-wide records name Chinook salmon, sockeye salmon, Coho salmon, rainbow trout and pink salmon. Some of the species recorded here are protected or tightly regulated, so check what may be targeted before you fish. Fish Long Lake where the bottom changes rather than where it looks deep.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-run averages give July about 19°C and January about -7°C. Winter closes the water for a while, and the reopening is worth catching. Once it clears, about late March, the fishing comes on quickly. The water is typically free of ice between late March and late November. Reckon on open water from spring through to late autumn, with May and June the strongest. It holds true on Long Lake more years than not.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access is not recorded for this water. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. No built facilities appear in mapping around this water. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. A landowner's word beats anything printed elsewhere. Fishing rules and camping rules are set separately here. Lac du Bois at 4 km is the sensible second choice. Check the position on Long Lake before loading the car.