Fishing at Rush Lake, Thompson-Nicola Regional District, British Columbia

• Overview

  Out in Thompson-Nicola Regional District, British Columbia, sits Rush Lake. Everything around it is rolling bush. It covers about 8 hectares, so this is small water you can walk round in under an hour. Aberdeen sits 9 km from the bank. It is 13 km to Kamloops, the nearest city. Others worth noting: Dam Lake (1.9 km), Timber Lake out at 2.6 km, Inks Lake (2.6 km), Jacko Lake out at 3.7 km and Wallender Lake (3.8 km). It lies deep inside the county rather than near an edge.

• Where to Fish on Rush Lake

  Nothing we hold settles how deep this runs. 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. County-wide records name Chinook salmon, sockeye salmon, Coho salmon and rainbow trout. Some of the species recorded here are protected or tightly regulated, so check what may be targeted before you fish. Rush Lake gives up more to patience than to distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warm month here averages 17°C; the cold one sits at -7°C. The freeze arrives properly here and holds. Ice-out usually falls in late March, and the weeks after it fish hardest. Break-up sits around late March on average, with the water closing again about late November. June through September is the settled part of the year, with the shoulders busier for fish. At Rush Lake the season follows that pattern closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing in our records says who may fish here. Mapping shows an empty shoreline: no ramp, no jetty, no marked entry. Light line and small metal for the trout; a fly rod earns its place on calm evenings. Parking space is the usual limit rather than the bank itself. Keep proof of licence with you rather than in the car. If the gate is shut, Dam Lake at 1.9 km is the nearest alternative. Check the position at Rush Lake before loading the car.