O'Connor Lake near Westsyde: Fishing Spots, Seasons and Access

• Overview

  You will find O'Connor Lake in Thompson-Nicola Regional District, British Columbia. Height above sea level is 1,040 metres. This is a pocket water of some 10 hectares, and every part of it is reachable from the bank. About 1.1 km of bank, so nothing stays unexplored for long. Nearest town is Westsyde, 14 km off. Kamloops is the closest city, 25 km away. The county line is nowhere near, so one local authority covers the water.

• Where to Fish on O'Connor Lake

  There is no recorded depth, so work from what you can see. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Fish documented in Thompson-Nicola Regional District include Chinook salmon, sockeye salmon and Coho salmon. At least one recorded species is protected in parts of its range; read the local rules before targeting anything. Read O'Connor Lake before you fish it and the day goes better.

• Seasonal Patterns

  August is the warm end of the year here, averaging about 16°C, while January sits near -7°C. Winter shuts things down for a spell, then spring reopens them fast. Ice fishing carries the winter, and the water opens about early April. Break-up near early April, freeze-up near late November: that is the shape of an average year. The shoulder weeks of the open season are the productive ones. It sets the rhythm of the year at O'Connor Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Who may fish here is not settled in anything we hold. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. Mapping is blank for access, so scout the approach before committing the car. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. Provincial rules still apply whatever the bank status. Signs go up and come down, so check on the day. For a change of water, Noble Lake is 4 km distant. Nothing on O'Connor Lake should be assumed from this page alone.