Best Fly Fishing Lakes in BC

Hatheume Lake

Sunset on Hatheume Lake Lodge - photo by DJO

This reasonably high elevation lake (1402m/4600ft)has been a favorite for trophy fish for almost 50 years. The rainbows here average between 2-4 lbs but there are plenty of larger fish up to 10 lbs or better. The season is from May until late October and is also a prime area for hunting, especially moose, deer and bear.

Chironimid (both floating line and sinking line), leech and dragonfly patterns do well here. Although I have yet to fish there during late June or July, I hear that the sedge hatch and responding rising of large fish is orgasmic!

One of my personal best results at Hatheume Lake was in mid-Sept, drifting with sinking lines and green chironimids. My wrists hurt after that one. I lost the strongest rainbow that I have ever hooked into (and never saw it either).

The last couple of years (2007/08) I have been able to get to Hatheume Lake during the first weekend in June. Both years the weather was testy, with both wind and rain conditions.

There are a number of real good areas to have a successful fly fishing vacation. The bay at the west end near the resort provides good shelter from the west winds that blow regularly at the lake. The south/south-west shore can also provide some protection from the west or south winds.

One of the biggest give-aways for where the fish are is to watch the swallows. They feed on the hatching chironimids and you can watch them swirling and diving in various areas, low and over the water when the hatch is on. When the hatch is not on, they fly at higher elevations or you don't see much of them at all.

Although the water is tea coloured, Hathueme Lake is surrounded by marl shoals, most of which have a gradual slope to deeper water (20'+). These are active areas and the fish will feed at all levels. Recently I caught large rainbow from 5' deep to 20' deep all in the same afternoon.

My favorite spot for chironomids is around the edges of the sunken island in the middle of the lake. If there are big fish to be caught, this is as likely a spot as any to hit that trophy fish.

The spring chironomid hatch is particularly prolific. From bombers (size #10) to tiny #16/#18's seem to be hatching all the time. Black with red wrap or silver wrap are great early season flies with green or brown chironomids with a gold or copper wrap seem to work better as the season progresses.

Located on the Thompson Plateau, Hatheume is accessed via the Okanagan Connector (Hwy 97C - Sunset turnoff) between Merritt and Peachland. Whether you are coming from the Okanagan, Kamloops/Merritt or the Lower Mainland (Vancouver area) it's all highway other than the last 26km which is a well used and maintained forestry road. A car will get you there but a higher clearance vehicle like a pickup or SUV is better.

For accommodation there are 2 choices.

1) Hatheume Lake Resort - Located on the NE corner of the lake this beautiful, well maintained resort includes cabin and boat rentals, souvenier and convenience store. Mark and Tania Lee, the lodge managers, welcome you throughout the year for a variety of summer and winter outdoor activities.

2) Hatheume and Pinnacle Lake Forestry Campsites - two beautifully kept public campsites. The Hatheume campsite is located on the SW corner of the lake and Pinnacle is located about a kilometer south of Hatheume on the road into Hatheume, you can't miss it.

Hatheume Lake is a trophy lake and has gear, limit, and seasonal restrictions in place. Consult your BC Fishing Regulations Guide for more information.

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