Old Dave Lake in Thompson-Nicola Regional District: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  You will find Old Dave Lake in Thompson-Nicola Regional District, British Columbia. The ground round it is lake country bush. Small at around 9 hectares: two anglers spread out cover most of it. The nearest place of any size is Glenrosa, 27 km away. Further out sit Smith Creek (29 km) and West Kelowna (30 km). There is no boundary nearby to worry about.

• Where to Fish on Old Dave Lake

  Depth is not on record here, so the bank has to tell you. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Fish documented in Thompson-Nicola Regional District include Chinook salmon, sockeye salmon, Coho salmon, rainbow trout and pink salmon. At least one recorded species is protected in parts of its range; read the local rules before targeting anything. On Old Dave Lake that means starting tight and working out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The seasonal spread runs -8°C to 13°C. Spring and autumn carry the fishing; summer and winter test it. Break-up comes around late April, and the run that follows is short and strong. Ice usually gives way near late April, and forms again about mid November. Fish feed hardest at the start and the close of the open season. Old Dave Lake runs to its own calendar within the local pattern.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether you may fish here is not something records settle. Access is unmapped, which usually means a farm track and a walk. Light line and small metal for the trout; a fly rod earns its place on calm evenings. Where the road in crosses private land, ask first. Where tickets apply, they are sold in the nearest town rather than on the bank. The nearest alternative is Barton Lake, 2.6 km out. Check the position at Old Dave Lake before loading the car.