Mayson Lake in Thompson-Nicola Regional District: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Mayson Lake lies in Thompson-Nicola Regional District, in British Columbia. The bank is 1,253 metres above sea level. Surface area runs to roughly 1.69 sq km, so plan for one area rather than the whole. Around 10 km of bank, which is a long day on foot. Size puts it in the front rank of our Thompson-Nicola Regional District list. Head to Barrière, 21 km away, for anything you forgot. Westsyde is 52 km and Sun Peaks 52 km. It sits well inside its county, with no border complications.

• Where to Fish on Mayson Lake

  We hold no survey for this water; read the slope of the shoreline instead. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Reported across Thompson-Nicola Regional District: Chinook salmon, sockeye salmon, Coho salmon, rainbow trout and pink salmon. At least one recorded species is protected in parts of its range; read the local rules before targeting anything. On Mayson Lake the obvious spot is not always the productive one.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect August to average close to 13°C, with January the cold end at about -9°C. The year splits cleanly: hard water, then open water. Expect a solid lid for months and a thaw around late April. Expect the water usable from around late April until roughly mid November. Spring is short and heavy here; autumn is longer and steadier. The season on Mayson Lake follows the weather closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  We hold no note on access for this one. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. You can camp 1.3 km off, which suits an early start. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Parking space is the usual limit rather than the bank itself. Barbless rules turn up on managed water more often than not. The nearest alternative is Bogmar Lake, 2 km out. For Mayson Lake in particular, ask before you travel.