Fishing at Thirsty Lake, Cariboo Regional District, British Columbia

• Overview

  You will find Thirsty Lake in Cariboo Regional District, British Columbia. It sits in lake country bush country. With some 26 hectares of water, there is room for a boat but no need of one. About 2.9 km of bank, so nothing stays unexplored for long. Supplies mean a trip to 108 Mile Ranch, 19 km off. Further out sit 100 Mile House (31 km) and Williams Lake (50 km). No county line comes close, which keeps the paperwork simple.

• Where to Fish on Thirsty Lake

  No depth figure has reached our records, which makes a plummet useful. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Reported across Cariboo Regional District: sockeye salmon, Chinook salmon, bull trout, Coho salmon and longnose sucker. Protected fish appear in the records for this area, so treat the list as information, not an invitation. Fish Thirsty Lake to its features, not to its size.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Between January at about -8°C and July at about 15°C, the water has a wide range to work through. Fishing here follows the temperature more than the calendar. Hard cover is dependable here; it goes around early April. Expect the water usable from around early April until roughly late November. The strong weeks are the first after break-up and the last before the freeze. On Thirsty Lake the same rules apply, with local timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  The paperwork position is blank for this one. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. Formal access is not mapped, so the last stretch is likely on foot. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. A phone call first saves an afternoon. Check whether bait restrictions apply before you buy any. Should this one be busy, Marling Lake is 2.3 km off. Where Thirsty Lake is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.