Tule Lake near Merritt: Fishing Spots, Seasons and Access

• Overview

  Tule Lake is one of the Thompson-Nicola Regional District waters in British Columbia. It sits in lake country bush. At roughly 2 hectares, the whole thing is within casting reach of a single walk. On size it sits at the modest end of our Thompson-Nicola Regional District list. The closest town, Merritt, is 22 km away. Beyond it, Princeton at 56 km and Logan Lake at 61 km. It sits well inside the county, so one set of rules covers it.

• Where to Fish on Tule Lake

  We hold no survey for this water; read the slope of the shoreline instead. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Records held for Thompson-Nicola Regional District cover Chinook salmon, sockeye salmon, Coho salmon, rainbow trout and pink salmon. At least one recorded species is protected in parts of its range; read the local rules before targeting anything. On Tule Lake the obvious spot is not always the productive one.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages move between -7°C in January and 15°C in August. Winter shuts things down for a spell, then spring reopens them fast. Expect a solid lid for months and a thaw around early April. Averages suggest open water from about early April through to roughly late November. Reckon on open water from spring through to late autumn, with May and June the strongest. It holds true on Tule Lake more years than not.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing in our records says who may fish here. 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. Sort the permit out before you load the car. Night access is frequently treated as a separate matter. For a change of water, Tinmilsh Lake is 3 km distant. Signs at Tule Lake carry more weight than any list.