Fishing at Meldrum Lake, Cariboo Regional District, British Columbia

• Overview

  Out in Cariboo Regional District, British Columbia, sits Meldrum Lake. The ground around here is pine and birch. At 1.76 sq km this is proper open water rather than a pond. The margin runs to about 16 km in total. Few waters listed in Cariboo Regional District are bigger. Williams Lake at 28 km is the nearest place to stop. Hanceville is 47 km and Quesnel 86 km. This one is safely inside the county line.

• Where to Fish on Meldrum Lake

  Our records hold no depth for this water. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. Survey and observation records for Cariboo Regional District include sockeye salmon, Chinook salmon, bull trout and Coho salmon. Protected fish appear in the records for this area, so treat the list as information, not an invitation. Work Meldrum Lake in sections rather than trying to cover it.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Temperature averages peak at 15°C in July and bottom out at -10°C in January. Hard water is a season in its own right here. Winter fishing happens on the ice here, with open water back around mid April. The lid tends to go about mid April and return around late November. Spring is short and heavy here; autumn is longer and steadier. Expect Meldrum Lake to follow that timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  The paperwork position is blank for this one. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. There is no mapped parking or launch close by, which usually means walking in. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. Where the road in crosses private land, ask first. Where the way in crosses private ground, ask first. For a change of water, Madden Lake is 3 km distant. Treat Meldrum Lake as unsettled until someone local tells you otherwise.