Nickel Plate Lake near Keremeos: Fishing Spots, Seasons and Access

• Overview

  Out in Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen, British Columbia, sits Nickel Plate Lake. The ground round it is rolling bush. It measures about 74 hectares, which is a comfortable size for bank fishing. Roughly 4.7 km of bank means you can walk to a fresh area when one goes quiet. Start from Keremeos, 24 km down the road. Kaleden is 26 km away, with Cawston at 28 km. The nearest boundary is well away, so one set of rules covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Nickel Plate Lake

  No chart reached our records; the first cast is your sounding. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. County-wide records name sockeye salmon, rainbow trout, Coho salmon and common carp. Some of the species recorded here are protected or tightly regulated, so check what may be targeted before you fish. Nickel Plate Lake repays a walk before the first cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The range across the year is -8°C to 12°C. A solid cap is the normal state through winter. Hard cover is dependable here; it goes around early May. On the long-run averages the water opens up around early May and starts locking again about mid November. Early summer and early autumn carry the open-water season. It sets the rhythm of the year at Nickel Plate Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing on record says whether the bank is open or closed. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. A campsite is mapped about 720 m away, which makes an early start easier. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Where a permit is needed, the nearest town usually sells it. Some ground is open by custom rather than by right, so tread carefully. The nearest alternative is Ford Lake, 11 km out. Ask locally about Nickel Plate Lake if anything is unclear.