McQueen Lake near Westsyde: Fishing Spots, Seasons and Access

• Overview

  McQueen Lake is a Thompson-Nicola Regional District water, British Columbia side. Lake country bush runs right down to the water. It runs to roughly 20 hectares — big enough to hold fish away from the bank, small enough to learn. A shoreline of some 3.1 km keeps the choices simple. Start from Westsyde, 9.5 km down the road. Kamloops sits 20 km out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. The nearest edge is a long way off, so local rules apply throughout.

• Where to Fish on McQueen Lake

  The records we hold are silent on depth, so plan to find it yourself. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Open biodiversity records for Thompson-Nicola Regional District list Chinook salmon, sockeye salmon, Coho salmon and rainbow trout. Several of these carry legal protection or closed seasons; the rulebook comes before the rod. Fish McQueen Lake where the bottom changes rather than where it looks deep.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The seasonal spread runs -7°C to 17°C. Winter puts a hard lid on this one. Expect a solid lid for months and a thaw around early April. In an average year the thaw lands around early April and the freeze near late November. Spring is short and heavy here; autumn is longer and steadier. McQueen Lake fishes to that pattern most years.

• Tackle & Baits

  The access position is unclear from public sources. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. Expect a 810 m walk in from where the car goes. Fishing from a pier is possible 250 m away. Toilets show in mapping about 780 m away. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Look for a notice board at the entrance. Signs go up and come down, so check on the day. For a change of water, Griffin Lake is 1 km distant. For McQueen Lake in particular, ask before you travel.