Fishing Scum Lake in Cariboo Regional District, British Columbia

• Overview

  The Cariboo Regional District end of British Columbia holds Scum Lake. The ground round it is pine and birch. Around 67 hectares of surface means several distinct areas to work. The edge covers about 5.3 km, enough to hold several distinct areas. Hanceville lies 41 km from the water. Beyond it, Williams Lake at 107 km and Anahim Lake at 139 km. This one is safely inside the county line.

• Where to Fish on Scum Lake

  The records we hold are silent on depth, so plan to find it yourself. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Survey and observation records for Cariboo Regional District include sockeye salmon, Chinook salmon, bull trout, Coho salmon and longnose sucker. Protected fish appear in the records for this area, so treat the list as information, not an invitation. On Scum Lake a short move beats a long cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warm month here averages 14°C; the cold one sits at -10°C. A solid cap is the normal state through winter. Hard cover is dependable here; it goes around mid April. On the long-run averages the water opens up around mid April and starts locking again about mid November. Reckon on open water from spring through to late autumn, with May and June the strongest. The season on Scum Lake rarely departs from it.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether the bank is open is not something our records settle. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. There is a mapped landing stage 980 m away. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. Sort the permit out before you load the car. Signs go up and come down, so check on the day. For a change of water, Janice Lake is 3.1 km distant. Confirm access to Scum Lake locally before you travel.