Monk Lake, British Columbia: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Monk Lake is one of the Regional District of Fraser-Fort George waters in British Columbia. Elevation runs to 887 metres. At roughly 2 hectares, the whole thing is within casting reach of a single walk. It is one of the smaller waters we list in Regional District of Fraser-Fort George. For supplies, Mackenzie is 45 km out. Kamloops sits 514 km out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. This one is safely inside the county line.

• Where to Fish on Monk Lake

  Our records hold no depth for this water. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. County-wide records name Chinook salmon, sockeye salmon and mountain whitefish. At least one recorded species is protected in parts of its range; read the local rules before targeting anything. At Monk Lake light and wind decide more than tackle does.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warm month here averages 14°C; the cold one sits at -11°C. Winter shuts the surface down for months. Ice-out usually falls in late April, and the weeks after it fish hardest. The lid tends to go about late April and return around mid November. Fish feed hardest at the start and the close of the open season. The season on Monk Lake follows the weather closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  The rules here are undocumented as far as public sources go. Public data shows nothing built here, so treat the whole approach as informal. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. Provincial rules still apply whatever the bank status. A polite question at the farm gate opens more banks than anything else. Should this one be busy, Snowshoe Lake is 1.4 km off. Nothing here settles the position at Monk Lake for certain.