Quartz Lake, British Columbia: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Quartz Lake falls in Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen, part of British Columbia. What surrounds it is lake country bush. At 3 hectares it is the sort of place you fish for an evening rather than a day. Most waters listed here for Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen are larger. Keremeos sits 50 km from the bank. For a city, Chilliwack is 115 km off. Rules here are straightforward: one set of provincial rules.

• Where to Fish on Quartz Lake

  Nothing in our records gives a depth for this one. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Records held for Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen cover sockeye salmon, rainbow trout, Coho salmon and common carp. Protected fish appear in the records for this area, so treat the list as information, not an invitation. Quartz Lake fishes better once you know its edges.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Between December at about -9°C and August at about 11°C, the water has a wide range to work through. A solid cap is the normal state through winter. Count on hard cover from midwinter, and open water from mid May. The season between ice runs from about mid May to early November. The shoulder weeks of the open season are the productive ones. On Quartz Lake that shapes the whole year.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access is not recorded for this water. Mapping shows a campsite some 160 m from the water. Light line and small metal for the trout; a fly rod earns its place on calm evenings. Where access is informal, keep it that way by behaving. Signs go up and come down, so check on the day. For a change of water, Sheep Lake is 3 km distant. Treat Quartz Lake as unsettled until someone local tells you otherwise.