Tarn Lake, British Columbia: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  British Columbia holds Tarn Lake, in Cariboo Regional District. It lies 1,572 metres above sea level. The far bank is a conversation away, so keep low and quiet. It is one of the smaller waters we list in Cariboo Regional District. Hanceville lies 120 km from the water. After that come Pemberton at 145 km and Campbell River at 146 km. It sits well inside the county, so one set of rules covers it.

• Where to Fish on Tarn Lake

  Depth went unrecorded, which puts the reading back on you. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Records held for Cariboo Regional District cover sockeye salmon, Chinook salmon, bull trout and Coho salmon. Several of these carry legal protection or closed seasons; the rulebook comes before the rod. On Tarn Lake the obvious spot is not always the productive one.

• Seasonal Patterns

  In an average year August sits at 7°C and December at -11°C. Winter shuts the surface down for months. After early June the shallows warm and the fish move up. From about early June to around late October, expect open water on the long-run figures. Spring is short and heavy here; autumn is longer and steadier. At Tarn Lake the season follows that pattern closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  We have no record of the rules that apply on this bank. We find no slipway, car park or made path within a short radius, so treat access as rough. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Where a permit is needed, the nearest town usually sells it. Where the way in crosses private ground, ask first. Nostetuko Lake at 5.5 km is the sensible second choice. The position on Tarn Lake is worth confirming on the day.