Fishing at Pantage Lake, Cariboo Regional District, British Columbia

• Overview

  Pantage Lake is a Cariboo Regional District water, in British Columbia. Beyond the shoreline you have pine and birch. Roughly 3.74 sq km of surface: treat each bay as a water in its own right. Shoreline length is close to 9.1 km, and each section fishes a little differently. On our Cariboo Regional District list it sits near the top for size. Start from Quesnel, 48 km down the road. The big place round here is Kamloops, 341 km distant. There is no boundary nearby to worry about.

• Where to Fish on Pantage Lake

  We hold no depth figure for this one. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Reported across Cariboo Regional District: sockeye salmon, Chinook salmon, bull trout, Coho salmon and longnose sucker. Some of the species recorded here are protected or tightly regulated, so check what may be targeted before you fish. Work Pantage Lake in sections rather than trying to cover it.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-run averages give July about 15°C and January about -10°C. The year runs cold to warm and back, with clear transitions. After mid April the shallows warm and the fish move up. Average temperatures cross freezing around mid April in spring and again near mid November in autumn. September and October fish steadily right up to the freeze. The season on Pantage Lake rarely departs from it.

• Tackle & Baits

  The rules here are undocumented as far as public sources go. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. No slipway, car park or made path shows up nearby in mapping, so treat access as rough. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. Where a permit is needed, the nearest town usually sells it. Check whether bait restrictions apply before you buy any. The nearest alternative is Emerald Lake, 12 km out. Check the position on Pantage Lake before loading the car.