Big Bar Lake
MU 3-31, Thompson-Nicola
51.3103° N, 121.7986° W
- Surface area
- 227.1ha
- Maximum depth
- 21.3m
- 70 ft
- Elevation
- 1,080m
Picturesque park lake with crystal clear water and active feeding rainbows along shallow marl flats.
Open Big Bar Lake in the appThe 7-day forecast, max depth and wildfire smoke check, on the lake's own coordinate.
Trophy fish at Big Bar Lake
Big Bar Lake is known for trophy Rainbow trout to 6 lb.
- Rainbow trout to 6 lb
Trophy sizes this lake is known for, not a typical catch. They are historical records from our own big fish list, with no date on file, not recent catches.
Big Bar Lake at a glance
- Region
- Thompson-Nicola
- Management unit
- MU 3-31
- Species
- Rainbow Trout, Cutthroat Trout (last recorded 1950), Lake Trout (last recorded 1950), Rainbow Smelt (last recorded 1961), Redside Shiner (last recorded 1961), Lake Sticklebacks (last recorded 1950)The newest of these fish records is from 2024.Species from the province's fish observation records.
- Lake size
- Medium Lake (50 - 500 ha)
- Ice fishing
- No ice fishing closure on file
- Coordinates
- 51.3103, -121.7986
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Gear for rainbow trout
Lines, leaders, lures and flies for rainbow trout, searched on Amazon.ca.
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Fish on record at Big Bar Lake
| Species | First recorded | Last recorded | Records |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rainbow Trout | 1927 | 2024 | 73 |
| Cutthroat Trout | 1950 | 1950 | 1 |
| Lake Trout | 1950 | 1950 | 1 |
| Rainbow Smelt | 1961 | 1961 | 1 |
| Redside Shiner | 1961 | 1961 | 1 |
| Lake Sticklebacks | 1950 | 1950 | 1 |
A year is when the Province last recorded the fish here, not a statement that it is caught today.
How to fish Big Bar Lake
Fly fishing with chironomids and damsels, spinning with Panther Martins, trolling flatfish.
Best times of year at Big Bar Lake
- May - June
- September - October
Big Bar Lake fishing regulations
Speed restriction (10 km/h) and no towing. Source: Province of British Columbia
Getting to Big Bar Lake
Big Bar Lake Provincial Park northwest of Clinton. Concrete boat launch, dock, campground.
26.8 km of traced road to the shore by way of Marriot Rd, Big Bar Rd, 3100 FSR, Gold Rush Snowmobile Trail, River Lake/Big Bar FSR and Meadow Lake Rd. The road at the end is a rough surface. It stops 310 m short of the shore.
Coordinates: 51.3103, -121.7986
Depth chart for Big Bar Lake
21.3 mdeepest
Big Bar Lake runs to 21.3 m (70 ft) at its deepest.
The Province sounded Big Bar Lake and published the depth chart.
The ice year at Big Bar Lake, modelled
Modelled from air temperature, not an ice report. It says nothing about whether ice will hold you.
In the model Big Bar Lake froze in 65 of the 65 winters since 1960. Freeze-up falls most years between 4 November and 16 November, and ice-off between 22 April and 9 May. The median winter freezes on 8 November and opens on 29 April.
the middle half of modelled winters the median ice cover in the median winter
Winter 2024-25 in the model: frozen from 15 November 2024 to 6 April 2025, 142 days.
No ice fishing closure is recorded for Big Bar Lake, so the general regional regulations apply.
Whether a lake is open to ice fishing says nothing about whether its ice will hold you. Ice conditions vary year to year and across a single lake. Check locally before going out, every time.
Big Bar Lake climate, 1960 to 2025
Averaged over a year, the air above Big Bar Lake is 1.4 C warmer than it was in the 1960s. That is 66 years of daily readings, not a forecast.
- +1.4 Csince the 1960s
- 3.9 Caverage year now
- 2.5 Caverage year then
- -15 daysbelow freezing, change
each yearthe trend across 1960 to 2025
each yearthe trend across 1960 to 2025
This week at Big Bar Lake
The forecast on this lake's own coordinate, refreshed through the day. The app reads these seven days for fishing and scores each one.
| Day | Sky | High / low | Wind | Rain | Pressure |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tue 20 Oct | Clear sky | 11° / 0° | 7 km/h, gusts 21 | dry | Steady |
| Wed 21 Oct | Overcast | 14° / 2° | 4 km/h, gusts 12 | dry | Falling (-9.8 hPa) |
| Thu 22 Oct | Light drizzle | 7° / 0° | 14 km/h, gusts 31 | dry | Rising (+4.0 hPa) |
| Fri 23 Oct | Overcast | 6° / -2° | 8 km/h, gusts 18 | dry | Rising (+12.7 hPa) |
| Sat 24 Oct | Overcast | 4° / 0° | 4 km/h, gusts 11 | dry | Steady |
| Sun 25 Oct | Mainly clear | 6° / -2° | 6 km/h, gusts 17 | dry | Rising (+5.1 hPa) |
| Mon 26 Oct | Overcast | 7° / 0° | 4 km/h, gusts 18 | dry | Falling (-2.7 hPa) |
Big Bar Lake, in brief
What fish are in Big Bar Lake?
Rainbow Trout, Cutthroat Trout (last recorded 1950), Lake Trout (last recorded 1950). Species from the province's fish observation records.
Which management unit is Big Bar Lake in?
Big Bar Lake is in MU 3-31, in the Thompson-Nicola. The BC Freshwater Fishing Regulations Synopsis is organised by management unit; check it before you go.
Trout lakes near Big Bar Lake
- Meadow Lake 7 km away
- Little White Lake 9 km away
- Little Big Bar Lake 9 km away
- Alberta Lake 12 km away
- Beaverdam Lake 13 km away
All 342 lakes in the Thompson-Nicola, with today's conditions on each.