Fishing at Spain Lake, Cariboo Regional District, British Columbia

• Overview

  In British Columbia, Spain Lake falls inside Cariboo Regional District. It stands 1,047 metres above sea level. With some 31 hectares of water, there is room for a boat but no need of one. With about 4.2 km of edge, you can try several depths in one session. Hanceville at 61 km is the nearest place to stop. The nearest city of size is Kamloops, 294 km away. It lies deep inside the county rather than near an edge.

• Where to Fish on Spain Lake

  Nothing we hold settles how deep this runs. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Across Cariboo Regional District, recorded fish include sockeye salmon, Chinook salmon, bull trout and Coho salmon. At least one recorded species is protected in parts of its range; read the local rules before targeting anything. Anyone new to Spain Lake should walk it once before setting up.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The year swings from about -12°C in January to roughly 14°C in July. The freeze arrives properly here and holds. Ice-out usually falls in mid April, and the weeks after it fish hardest. Break-up sits around mid April on average, with the water closing again about mid November. The shoulder weeks of the open season are the productive ones. Plan any trip to Spain Lake around it.

• Tackle & Baits

  Who may fish here is not settled in anything we hold. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. Nothing is mapped in the way of a ramp or car park within a short radius. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. A phone call first saves an afternoon. Fishing rules and camping rules are set separately here. Deerpelt Lake, 1.8 km away, makes the obvious fallback. Nothing here settles the position at Spain Lake for certain.