Fishing
Two words: year-round fishing. Ok, maybe that’s three, but who cares?
We have fish to catch! It doesn’t matter what time of year you stop by, Kamloops has a spot for you to cast a line. If you don’t want to work too hard (Is fishing work?), the spring and fall months are the most consistent. Head up to the higher elevation lakes in the summer for a change of scenery, or take advantage of actively feeding fish beneath the ice in the winter. It doesn’t matter if you’re catching minnows alongside the kids or hungry for some trophy stillwater, come experience some of the BC Interior’s best fishing.
Top 5 Lakes to Fish
Edith Lake
Known to locals as the Old Fishing Highway, Edith Lake is 25 minutes west of Kamloops off Highway 5A. If you like to know what you’re getting into (parents), we got you covered. The recreation site features camping for 15 units, day-use areas with picnic tables, a fishing dock, and three boat launches for cartop or small trailered boats. The icing on the amenities cake? The lake is stocked with Kamloops Rainbow and Brook Trout.
Monte Lake
If you don’t know what Trolling is you might want to look it up before heading out to Monte Lake. Hint: it doesn’t involve hunting the jeweled-belly good luck charms we all know and love. Located 50 km SE of Kamloops on Highway 97, Monte Lake is a great place for Kokanee (not the beer) between early spring and fall months. If you’re a fan of the cold, stop by in January when the ice is as thick as Shrek’s skull. Oh wait, he’s an ogre not a troll.
Tunkwa Lake
Tunkwa Lake Provincial Park is one of British Columbia’s premier fishing destinations. If that’s not reason enough to hit the road, how about this? You can cast for Rainbow Trout from a boat, tube, canoe, or the shore. That’s right, a tube. Located 40 km from Kamloops off Highway 1 West between Savona and Logan Lake, come for the day or stay a few nights at the provincial park campsite or the open-year-round Tunkwa Lake Resort.
Roche Lake
Where are the fly fishers at? A short 35 km from Kamloops, Roche Lake Provincial Park is one of the most popular fly fishing lakes in BC. Get this, you can expect to catch fish up to 6lbs. Six! Set up camp at the provincial park or cozy up in a cabin. Need a boat? You can rent one from Roche Lake Resort.
Jacko Lake
Hardly enough time to play a car game, Jacko Lake is only 15 km SE of Kamloops, and is what stillwater fans’ dreams are made of. Rainbow Trout are stocked annually and grow up to 10lbs. Reeling one in is not quite a spin class worth of work, but it is more fun. The day-use site has a gravel boat launch and is open from spring to fall. You might want to leave the compact car at home for this trip, a 4x4 vehicle is recommended to access the lake.
Area Fishing Guides
INTERIOR FLY FISHING CO.
Brett Pennington & Casey Groves
ELEVATED FISHING ADVENTURES
Campbell Bryk
RISE FORM FLY FISHING
Brian Chan
FAST ACTION FLY FISHING
Wally Tywoniuk
Fishing Stores
CASTING LOOPS FLY & TACKLE
Casting Loops Fly & Tackle is Kamloops' only fishing dedicated store. Get your fly and tackle gear before casting a line on the many lakes around Kamloops.
Plan Your Kamloops Fishing Trip
Three primary strains of Rainbow Trout are stocked in local lakes by the Freshwater Fisheries Society of BC: Pennask, Blackwater, and Fraser Valley. Eastern Brook Trout can also be found in some Kamloops stillwaters, as well as Chinook Salmon, Kokanee, Burbot, Northern Pikeminnow and Carp.