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

• Overview

  Set in Thompson-Nicola Regional District, British Columbia, this is Sparks Lake. Country round the bank runs to pine and birch. With some 11 hectares of water, there is room for a boat but no need of one. Around 1.2 km of margin, front to back. Cache Creek at 35 km is the nearest place to stop. For a city, Kamloops is 46 km off. There is no boundary nearby to worry about.

• Where to Fish on Sparks Lake

  Our records hold no depth for this water. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Thompson-Nicola Regional District records list Chinook salmon, sockeye salmon, Coho salmon, rainbow trout and pink salmon among the fish reported. Protected fish appear in the records for this area, so treat the list as information, not an invitation. At Sparks Lake light and wind decide more than tackle does.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-run averages give August about 16°C and January about -7°C. Winter puts a hard lid on this one. Look for the thaw near early April; the fishing lifts straight after. Break-up near early April, freeze-up near late November: that is the shape of an average year. Fishing peaks soon after break-up and again before the cold returns. Plan around that when you fish Sparks Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public sources are silent on who controls the bank. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. No launch point is recorded nearby, so this is a bank water unless you carry a boat in. Light line and small metal for the trout; a fly rod earns its place on calm evenings. Look for a notice board at the entrance. Some water is controlled locally without a sign saying so. For a change of water, Moutray Lake is 0.7 km distant. Nothing here settles the position at Sparks Lake for certain.