Meadow Lake near Ellison: Fishing Spots, Seasons and Access

• Overview

  British Columbia holds Meadow Lake, in Regional District of Central Okanagan. The surface lies 1,404 metres up. It covers about 5 hectares, so this is small water you can walk round in under an hour. Ellison lies 11 km from the water. After that come Lake Country at 13 km and Rutland at 14 km. It sits well inside the county, so one set of rules covers it.

• Where to Fish on Meadow Lake

  There is no recorded depth, so work from what you can see. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. County-wide records name sockeye salmon, rainbow trout, common carp and largescale sucker. Several of these carry legal protection or closed seasons; the rulebook comes before the rod. Work Meadow Lake in sections rather than trying to cover it.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Temperature averages peak at 14°C in August and bottom out at -8°C in January. Cold locks it up for a good stretch each year. After late April the shallows warm and the fish move up. Ice usually gives way near late April, and forms again about mid November. June through September is the settled part of the year, with the shoulders busier for fish. The season on Meadow Lake follows the weather closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing on record says whether the bank is open or closed. The map shows no ramp or car park nearby, so this is a walk-in water. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. Look for a notice board at the entrance. Where parking is tight, arriving early solves most problems. If the gate is shut, Postill Lake at 2.3 km is the nearest alternative. None of that is settled for Meadow Lake in what we hold.