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Big Lake

MU 5-2, Cariboo
51.6673° N, 121.4518° W

Map of Big Lake: the shoreline from the BC Freshwater Atlas and the roads round it from the BC Digital Road Atlas.121°29.5′W121°29′W121°28.5′W121°28′W121°27.5′W121°27′W121°26.5′W51°39.5′N51°39.8′N51°40′N51°40.2′N51°40.5′N51°40.8′NBig Lake0500 mNMap of Big Lake: the shoreline from the BC Freshwater Atlas and the roads round it from the BC Digital Road Atlas.121°28′W121°27′W51°39.5′N51°40′N51°40.5′N51°41′NBig Lake01 kmN
WaterRoadRough surface roadShoreline from the BC Freshwater Atlas, roads from the BC Digital Road Atlas, under the Open Government Licence, British Columbia. The lake's depth is not drawn on this map.
Surface area
116.7ha
Elevation
1,028m

Open Big Lake in the appThe 7-day forecast, max depth and wildfire smoke check, on the lake's own coordinate.

Trophy fish at Big Lake

Big Lake is known for trophy Rainbow trout to 8 lb.

  • Rainbow trout to 8 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 Lake at a glance

Region
Cariboo
Management unit
MU 5-2
Species
Rainbow Trout, Kokanee, Lake Trout (last recorded 1994), Brook Trout (last recorded 1991)The newest of these fish records is from 2026.Species from the province's fish observation records.
Lake size
Medium Lake (50 - 500 ha)
Coordinates
51.6673, -121.451772

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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 Lake

Species in the Province's fish observation records
SpeciesFirst recordedLast recordedRecords
Rainbow Trout19462026216
Kokanee1991200014
Lake Trout1992199428
Brook Trout197119914

A year is when the Province last recorded the fish here, not a statement that it is caught today.

Big Lake fishing regulations

We have no lake specific regulations on file for Big Lake yet.

Getting to Big Lake

Coordinates: 51.6673, -121.451772

Camping and rec sites at Big Lake

  • Big Lake
    No campsite count on file (BC Recreation Sites and Trails)

The ice year at Big Lake, modelled

Modelled from air temperature, not an ice report. It says nothing about whether ice will hold you.

In the model Big Lake froze in 65 of the 65 winters since 1960. Freeze-up falls most years between 3 November and 16 November, and ice-off between 17 April and 3 May. The median winter freezes on 8 November and opens on 26 April.

Modelled ice season at Big Lake: freeze-up most winters between 3 November and 16 November, ice-off between 17 April and 3 May.OctNovDecJanFebMarAprMayJunFreeze-upIce-offabout 167 days in the median winter

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 18 April 2025, 154 days.

We have no ice fishing regulation on file for Big Lake either way. Check the current BC Freshwater Fishing Regulations Synopsis before you plan a trip.

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 Lake climate, 1960 to 2025

Averaged over a year, the air above Big Lake is 0.8 C warmer than it was in the 1960s. That is 66 years of daily readings, not a forecast.

  • +0.8 Csince the 1960s
  • 4.9 Caverage year now
  • 4.1 Caverage year then
  • -7 daysbelow freezing, change
Average year at Big Lakedegrees C, yearly mean
2 C4 C7 C1960198020002020

each yearthe trend across 1960 to 2025

Days below freezingdays a year averaging under 0 C
681181701960198020002020

each yearthe trend across 1960 to 2025

This week at Big 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.

DaySkyHigh / lowWindRainPressure
Wed 21 OctOvercast14° / 0°16 km/h, gusts 29drySteady
Thu 22 OctSlight rain6° / -1°18 km/h, gusts 49dryRising (+5.0 hPa)
Fri 23 OctOvercast5° / -3°14 km/h, gusts 50dryRising (+11.7 hPa)
Sat 24 OctOvercast6° / -1°11 km/h, gusts 44dryFalling (-4.4 hPa)
Sun 25 OctOvercast8° / 0°5 km/h, gusts 36dryRising (+3.0 hPa)
Mon 26 OctPartly cloudy8° / -2°11 km/h, gusts 19dryFalling (-4.4 hPa)
Tue 27 OctOvercast7° / -1°17 km/hdryRising (+2.3 hPa)

Open Big Lake in the app

Big Lake, in brief

What fish are in Big Lake?

Rainbow Trout, Kokanee, Lake Trout (last recorded 1994), Brook Trout (last recorded 1991). Species from the province's fish observation records.

How big is Big Lake?

Big Lake covers about 116.7 ha, by the province's Freshwater Atlas.

Which management unit is Big Lake in?

Big Lake is in MU 5-2, in the Cariboo. The BC Freshwater Fishing Regulations Synopsis is organised by management unit; check it before you go.

Trout lakes near Big Lake

All 328 lakes in the Cariboo, with today's conditions on each.

Reading the water