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

• Overview

  Ray Lake is set in Thompson-Nicola Regional District, British Columbia. The country here is lake country bush. It measures some 1.26 sq km, and wind has room to build across it. The margin runs to about 8.6 km in total. It is among the larger waters listed here for Thompson-Nicola Regional District. Head to Clearwater, 66 km away, for anything you forgot. Valemount lies 87 km off, 108 Mile Ranch another 104 km. It sits well inside the county, so one set of rules covers it.

• Where to Fish on Ray Lake

  Depth is unknown to us, and the shoreline is the better guide. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Public occurrence data for Thompson-Nicola Regional District names 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. At Ray Lake the water rewards a slow, careful approach.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages here run 12°C at the top of summer and -9°C at the bottom of winter. Spring and autumn carry the fishing; summer and winter test it. Ice-out usually falls in early May, and the weeks after it fish hardest. In an average year the thaw lands around early May and the freeze near early November. Early summer and early autumn carry the open-water season. Ray Lake runs to its own calendar within the local pattern.

• 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 shows no built access close by; expect to walk in from wherever you can leave the car. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Check whether a boat is allowed before you tow one. Night access is frequently treated as a separate matter. If the gate is shut, Majerus Lake at 8.5 km is the nearest alternative. Check the current arrangement for Ray Lake.