Fishing at Loon Lake, Thompson-Nicola Regional District, British Columbia

• Overview

  Out in Thompson-Nicola Regional District, British Columbia, sits Loon Lake. The surroundings are rolling bush. With some 13 hectares of water, there is room for a boat but no need of one. The whole outline is near 1.8 km, and most of it is walkable. Merritt at 31 km is the nearest place to stop. The nearest city of size is Kelowna, 75 km away. It sits well inside the county, so one set of rules covers it.

• Where to Fish on Loon Lake

  Our records hold no depth for this water. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Thompson-Nicola Regional District records list Chinook salmon, sockeye salmon, Coho salmon and rainbow trout among the fish reported. At least one recorded species is protected in parts of its range; read the local rules before targeting anything. At Loon Lake the first feature you find is worth twenty minutes.

• Seasonal Patterns

  In an average year August sits at 15°C and January at -7°C. Expect a real winter and a strong spring after it. The freeze runs deep into the year, with break-up near early April. On the long-run averages the water opens up around early April and starts locking again about late November. Fish feed hardest at the start and the close of the open season. The season on Loon Lake rarely departs from it.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing we hold confirms whether access is permitted. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. Public data shows nothing built here, so treat the whole approach as informal. Light line and small metal for the trout; a fly rod earns its place on calm evenings. Look for a notice board at the entrance. Close seasons apply to some species and not others. The nearest alternative is Kentucky Lake, 2.2 km out. Where Loon Lake is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.