Fishing at Nolan Lake, Thompson-Nicola Regional District, British Columbia

• Overview

  Out in Thompson-Nicola Regional District, British Columbia, sits Nolan Lake. Everything around it is pine and birch. The water covers some 82 hectares, so pick a bank rather than trying to cover it all. It is among the larger waters listed here for Thompson-Nicola Regional District. Some 28 km away sits 100 Mile House, the nearest settlement. 108 Mile Ranch lies 40 km off, Cache Creek another 69 km. The nearest boundary is well away, so one set of rules covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Nolan Lake

  Nothing we hold settles how deep this runs. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Species logged across Thompson-Nicola Regional District include Chinook salmon, sockeye salmon, Coho salmon and rainbow trout. Some of the species recorded here are protected or tightly regulated, so check what may be targeted before you fish. On Nolan Lake a short move beats a long cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Typical August readings run about 15°C; by January the average is down near -8°C. Spring and autumn carry the fishing; summer and winter test it. The lid usually sets by midwinter and gives way around mid April. The lid tends to go about mid April and return around late November. Reckon on open water from spring through to late autumn, with May and June the strongest. It holds true on Nolan Lake more years than not.

• Tackle & Baits

  The paperwork position is blank for this one. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. Mapping records no facilities at all near this water. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. Sort the permit out before you load the car. A polite question at the farm gate opens more banks than anything else. Jim Lake, 2.4 km away, makes the obvious fallback. For Nolan Lake in particular, ask before you travel.