Semlin Lake Fishing in Thompson-Nicola Regional District, British Columbia

• Overview

  This water sits in Thompson-Nicola Regional District, British Columbia. The bank is 1,136 metres above sea level. With some 14 hectares of water, there is room for a boat but no need of one. The edge runs 2.0 km or so, easy to work in an afternoon. Barrière lies 48 km from the water. Kamloops sits 62 km out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. The county line is nowhere near, so one local authority covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Semlin Lake

  Depth is not on record here, so the bank has to tell you. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Records held for Thompson-Nicola Regional District cover 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. The near bank of Semlin Lake is often the one people ignore.

• Seasonal Patterns

  On the long-term average, August reads 14°C and January reads -8°C. Winter puts a hard lid on this one. Break-up comes around mid April, and the run that follows is short and strong. Averages place the thaw at mid April and the freeze at mid November. September and October fish steadily right up to the freeze. Semlin Lake runs to its own calendar within the local pattern.

• Tackle & Baits

  The rules here are undocumented as far as public sources go. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. Access is unmapped, which usually means a farm track and a walk. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. Bank access can be seasonal on ground like this. Barbless rules turn up on managed water more often than not. If the gate is shut, Uren Lake at 2.9 km is the nearest alternative. Ask locally about Semlin Lake if anything is unclear.