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

• Overview

  The Thompson-Nicola Regional District end of British Columbia holds Saxon Lake. Beyond the shoreline you have lake country bush. The bank runs about 1.8 km all the way round, so one visit can cover most of it. By elevation it is in the upper part of our British Columbia listings. The nearest place of any size is Merritt, 16 km away. It is 55 km to Kamloops, the nearest city. One jurisdiction covers this water end to end.

• Where to Fish on Saxon Lake

  We hold no depth figure for this one. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Records held for Thompson-Nicola Regional District cover 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. Saxon Lake responds to conditions more than to tactics.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-run averages give August about 13°C and December about -7°C. Four clear seasons, with a proper winter at one end. The lid usually goes in late April, which opens the strongest weeks of the year. On the long-run averages the water opens up around late April and starts locking again about mid November. Fish feed hardest at the start and the close of the open season. Expect Saxon Lake to follow that timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access is not recorded for this water. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. No built facilities appear in mapping around this water. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. Take the rules with you rather than trusting memory. Some water is controlled locally without a sign saying so. If the gate is shut, Revelle Lake at 3.6 km is the nearest alternative. Confirm before you fish Saxon Lake.