Fishing at Spanish Lake, Cariboo Regional District, British Columbia

• Overview

  In British Columbia, Spanish Lake falls inside Cariboo Regional District. It sits in lake country bush country. At 4.53 sq km this is proper open water rather than a pond. The edge covers about 20 km, enough to hold several distinct areas. Size puts it in the front rank of our Cariboo Regional District list. The nearest place of any size is Williams Lake, 71 km away. The nearest city of size is Kamloops, 225 km away. Rules here are straightforward: one set of provincial rules.

• Where to Fish on Spanish Lake

  Depth is unknown to us, and the shoreline is the better guide. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Fish documented in Cariboo Regional District include sockeye salmon, Chinook salmon, bull trout and Coho salmon. Protected fish appear in the records for this area, so treat the list as information, not an invitation. Work Spanish Lake in sections rather than trying to cover it.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The range across the year is -7°C to 14°C. Winter puts a hard lid on this one. Winter fishing happens on the ice here, with open water back around mid April. The season between ice runs from about mid April to late November. From the thaw to midsummer the fishing improves week by week. It holds true on Spanish Lake more years than not.

• Tackle & Baits

  Ownership and access are not documented in what we hold. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. No made access is recorded, so a short walk in is the likely arrangement. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Parking is often the real limit rather than the bank itself. Rules for boats are stricter than rules for the bank in many places. Should this one be busy, Benny Lake is 6.3 km off. Nothing on Spanish Lake should be assumed from this page alone.