Westpass Lake Fishing Guide, Cariboo Regional District, British Columbia

• Overview

  Cariboo Regional District, British Columbia, is where Westpass Lake sits. The ground round it is rolling bush. At roughly 5 hectares, the whole thing is within casting reach of a single walk. On size it sits at the modest end of our Cariboo Regional District list. Supplies mean a trip to Quesnel, 64 km off. The nearest city of size is Kamloops, 300 km away. The nearest boundary is well away, so one set of rules covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Westpass Lake

  We hold no depth figure for this one. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Cariboo Regional District records list sockeye salmon, Chinook salmon, bull trout, Coho salmon and longnose sucker among the fish reported. Protected fish appear in the records for this area, so treat the list as information, not an invitation. Read Westpass Lake for ten minutes before the first cast goes out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The seasonal spread runs -9°C to 12°C. A solid cap is the normal state through winter. Ice-out usually falls in late April, and the weeks after it fish hardest. Expect the water usable from around late April until roughly mid November. Fish feed hardest at the start and the close of the open season. At Westpass Lake the season follows that pattern closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  No access rule appears in what we hold. The map shows no ramp or car park nearby, so this is a walk-in water. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. Bank access can be seasonal on ground like this. Some ground is open by custom rather than by right, so tread carefully. If the gate is shut, Lottie Lake at 3.1 km is the nearest alternative. The position on Westpass Lake is worth confirming on the day.