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

• Overview

  Tahla Lake belongs to Thompson-Nicola Regional District, British Columbia. The water sits 1,019 metres up. With some 12 hectares of water, there is room for a boat but no need of one. With about 1.6 km of edge, you can try several depths in one session. Supplies mean a trip to Merritt, 26 km off. Princeton lies 50 km off, Logan Lake another 68 km. The county line is nowhere near, so one local authority covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Tahla Lake

  Depth remains unrecorded, so treat the first session as a survey. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Records held for Thompson-Nicola Regional District cover Chinook salmon, sockeye salmon, Coho salmon and rainbow trout. Protected fish appear in the records for this area, so treat the list as information, not an invitation. Tahla Lake responds to conditions more than to tactics.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Typical August readings run about 15°C; by January the average is down near -6°C. Winter shuts things down for a spell, then spring reopens them fast. Break-up comes around early April, and the run that follows is short and strong. Climate averages put the opening at about early April and the closing near late November. The open run goes from the thaw to the freeze, and April through October covers most of it. Tahla Lake runs to that rhythm year in and year out.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access status is simply unknown for this water. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. There is a campsite 230 m from the water. Facilities include toilets around 1 km from here. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. Look for a notice board at the entrance. Barbless rules turn up on managed water more often than not. Failing this one, try Boss Lake, 1 km away. Ask locally about Tahla Lake if anything is unclear.