Best Fly Fishing Lakes in BC

Edith Lake is just another Best Fly Fishing lake in BC that simply grows lunker rainbow trout. Long known as a brook trout lake, Edith was one of the first lakes in the Kamloops area that had triploid rainbow trout introduced and now, after a few years the lake has been producing large rainbows (10 lb+) as well a brookies. One Labour Day weekend a couple of years ago I watched a teenage boy in a float tube get hauled around the lake for 55 minutes only to have the fish tangle in some underwater debris and break him off. Never saw the fish but it's what legends are made of.

Located just south Kamloops BC, Edith Lake is easily accessed via the old Merritt Highway at Knutsford. Turn right a Long Lake road for 3 km along the paved road and turn right then at Edith Lake Road. It's a well maintained gravel road and about 4km to the lake.

Nearby Kamloops is a small city of over 80,000 people and has lots to do and see. Check with our Trip Advisor for reviews on places to stay, then book one.

The surface are is about 27 ha or 60 acres and sits at an elevation of 1020m or 3345ft. It is considered a low elevation lake and usuallly experiences ice of early in April and ice on late in November, giving it one of the longer open water fishing seasons in the area. The lake is also open for ice fishing in the winter.

There are no maintained campgrounds or lodgings at the lake but there are a couple of open areas where people just pull up and stay in their campers or tent trailers. There are at least 3 launches available for cartop boats and small trailer boats. These accesses a great for your belly boat or pontoon boat too.

A sinking line with a leech, dragon or damsel would be my first try. A floating line with a strike indicator and a chironimid, especially a chromie pattern with a red butt has also been an effective technique for rainbows. I haven't spent much time searching for brookies but they seem to school and cruise just out from the weed beds. Small attractor patterns like the Red, Black or Yellow Spratley or colourful micro-leeches will do the trick.

Despite it's proximity to my home in Kamloops, I have not spent a lot of time here. It's probably because of the lack of restrictions leaving it open for all types of hardware and trolling gear. This lake also has a significant number of spots where one can cast from shore. This tends to load up some of the productive bays with shore fisherman making it difficult to anchor and share the same water. My lack of visits may also be influenced about my difficultly in coaxing the fish to my fly.

Having said that, I have caught a few nice fish there but not any of the lunkers. The word is that the fish like leeches and I have had a few big fish break me off (and I use 6 lb tippit) a few times with one quick take using a Kissing Leech Pattern. I've actually had better luck on a slow troll with the deep sinking line than anchoring and casting.

I have a feeling that the Kamloops Booby Fly may have some success too but as of today (Mar 2007) it has been untested in these waters. This spring should give us a better idea as we intend to hit it early just after ice-off.

The areas around the boat launches have a lot of active fish. The big fish seem to be along the north shore or in the western end of the lake where the bottom slowly tapers out to the feeding flats about 5m or 16 ft deep. This is a good spot in the lake to try the dry line chironomid,bloodworm or weighted micro-leech technique with a strike indicator.

I have never experienced a sedge or mayfly hatch but it's probably just because I haven't timed it appropriately. Most of my fishing has been limited to the early spring and late fall.

Have patience at Edith lake and keep changing up your flies. You just may be lucky enough to hook a lunker larger than your imagination will handle.

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