Fishing Rum Lake in Cariboo Regional District, British Columbia

• Overview

  Set in Cariboo Regional District, Rum Lake is a British Columbia water. It sits at 904 metres above sea level. At 6 hectares it is the sort of place you fish for an evening rather than a day. On size it sits at the modest end of our Cariboo Regional District list. Quesnel sits 90 km from the bank. Kamloops is the closest city, 273 km away. No border sits close enough to matter.

• Where to Fish on Rum Lake

  Depth figures are not published for this one. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Cariboo Regional District records list sockeye salmon, Chinook salmon, bull trout and Coho salmon among the fish reported. Several of these carry legal protection or closed seasons; the rulebook comes before the rod. Work Rum Lake in sections rather than trying to cover it.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The year swings from about -8°C in January to roughly 14°C in July. Hard water is a season in its own right here. Hard cover is dependable here; it goes around mid April. Averages suggest open water from about mid April through to roughly mid November. Just after the ice goes and just before it returns, the fishing lifts. That is the shape of the year on Rum Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  We have no record of the rules that apply on this bank. A campsite is mapped about 160 m away, which makes an early start easier. Light line and small metal for the trout; a fly rod earns its place on calm evenings. Parking is often the real limit rather than the bank itself. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. Should this one be busy, Unna Lake is 0.7 km off. Check the position at Rum Lake before loading the car.