West Lake Fishing near Williams Lake, British Columbia

• Overview

  You will find West Lake in Cariboo Regional District, British Columbia. The surface lies 971 metres up. About 7 hectares of surface, which puts the far bank inside easy sight. It is a small entry by Cariboo Regional District standards. Williams Lake at 28 km is the nearest place to stop. Hanceville is 40 km and 108 Mile Ranch 81 km. The nearest boundary is a fair way off.

• Where to Fish on West Lake

  Depth here is unknown, so count the lead down before committing. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Fish documented in Cariboo Regional District include sockeye salmon, Chinook salmon, bull trout and Coho salmon. Some of the species recorded here are protected or tightly regulated, so check what may be targeted before you fish. Read West Lake for ten minutes before the first cast goes out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Climate normals give 16°C for July and -10°C for January. A hard winter is normal, and the thaw brings a strong few weeks. The lid usually sets by midwinter and gives way around early April. Averages suggest open water from about early April through to roughly late November. Late spring and early autumn carry the year between them. The season on West Lake follows the weather closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  Who may fish here is not settled in anything we hold. No built facilities appear in mapping around this water. Light line and small metal for the trout; a fly rod earns its place on calm evenings. A landowner's word beats anything printed elsewhere. Some water is controlled locally without a sign saying so. For a change of water, Barkley Lake is 1.4 km distant. Where West Lake is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.