Wingdam Lake, British Columbia: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Wingdam Lake falls in Cariboo Regional District, part of British Columbia. It stands 1,125 metres above sea level. It covers about 7 hectares, so this is small water you can walk round in under an hour. It is a small entry by Cariboo Regional District standards. Start from Quesnel, 36 km down the road. Williams Lake follows at 99 km, then Prince George at 112 km. The nearest boundary is well away, so one set of rules covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Wingdam Lake

  Nothing in our records gives a depth for this one. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. 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. The near bank of Wingdam Lake is often the one people ignore.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Typical August readings run about 14°C; by January the average is down near -9°C. Hard water is a season in its own right here. Ice is part of the season here, ending near late April. The season between ice runs from about late April to mid November. The shoulder weeks of the open season are the productive ones. At Wingdam Lake the season follows that pattern closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether the bank is open is not something our records settle. Nothing formal is recorded here: no ramp, no car park, no marked path. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Bank access can be seasonal on ground like this. Signs go up and come down, so check on the day. For a change of water, Hyde Lake is 4.1 km distant. Rules at Wingdam Lake are worth checking on the day.