Pattinson Lake, British Columbia: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  British Columbia holds Pattinson Lake, in Thompson-Nicola Regional District. Beyond the shoreline you have pine and birch. At about 23 hectares, a day is enough to walk the shoreline properly. With about 2.5 km of edge, you can try several depths in one session. It sits higher than most water we list in British Columbia. Some 38 km away sits Peachland, the nearest settlement. Kelowna sits 51 km out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. No county line comes close, which keeps the paperwork simple.

• Where to Fish on Pattinson Lake

  No depth figure has reached our records, which makes a plummet useful. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Thompson-Nicola Regional District records list Chinook salmon, sockeye salmon, Coho salmon and rainbow trout among the fish reported. At least one recorded species is protected in parts of its range; read the local rules before targeting anything. Fish Pattinson Lake where the bottom changes rather than where it looks deep.

• Seasonal Patterns

  August is the warm end of the year here, averaging about 13°C, while December sits near -7°C. Seasons are distinct, and each one fishes differently. After late April the shallows warm and the fish move up. Going by climate averages, expect open water from about late April until roughly mid November. The middle of summer slows a little, with dawn and dusk carrying it. Pattinson Lake fishes to that pattern most years.

• Tackle & Baits

  Who may fish here is not settled in anything we hold. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. Formal access is not mapped, so the last stretch is likely on foot. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. A phone call first saves an afternoon. Where tickets apply, they are sold in the nearest town rather than on the bank. Failing this one, try Steer Lake, 2.9 km away. For Pattinson Lake, the notice at the access point is the final word.