Fishing at Yorston Lake, Cariboo Regional District, British Columbia

• Overview

  Cariboo Regional District, British Columbia, is where Yorston Lake sits. It stands 909 metres above sea level. With some 34 hectares of water, there is room for a boat but no need of one. Around 3.5 km of margin, front to back. The nearest town is Williams Lake, 24 km away. Kamloops sits 231 km out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. It lies deep inside the county rather than near an edge.

• Where to Fish on Yorston Lake

  Our records hold no depth for this water. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Reported across Cariboo Regional District: sockeye salmon, Chinook salmon, bull trout and Coho salmon. At least one recorded species is protected in parts of its range; read the local rules before targeting anything. On Yorston Lake the first feature you find is usually worth a session.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Temperature averages peak at 15°C in July and bottom out at -9°C in January. The year splits cleanly: hard water, then open water. The lid usually goes in early April, which opens the strongest weeks of the year. The lid tends to go about early April and return around late November. The strongest runs come at either end of the open season. On Yorston Lake that shapes the whole year.

• Tackle & Baits

  No access rule appears in what we hold. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. The map shows no ramp or car park nearby, so this is a walk-in water. Light line and small metal for the trout; a fly rod earns its place on calm evenings. A phone call first saves an afternoon. Some ground is open by custom rather than by right, so tread carefully. Failing this one, try Spring Lake, 0.7 km away. Where Yorston Lake is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.