Cleland Lake
MU 4-34, Kootenays
50.8325° N, 116.3886° W
- Surface area
- 27.3ha
- Maximum depth
- 31.7m
- 104 ft
- Elevation
- 1,125m
- Campsites
- 5
- At Cleland Lake rec site
Open Cleland Lake in the appThe 7-day forecast, max depth and wildfire smoke check, on the lake's own coordinate.
Cleland Lake at a glance
- Region
- Kootenays
- Management unit
- MU 4-34
- Species
- Rainbow TroutThe newest of these fish records is from 2026.Species from the province's fish observation records.
- Lake size
- Small Water (< 50 ha)
- Ice fishing
- Open to ice fishing, confirmed
- Coordinates
- 50.8325, -116.3886
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Gear for rainbow trout
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Fish on record at Cleland Lake
| Species | First recorded | Last recorded | Records |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rainbow Trout | 1957 | 2026 | 82 |
A year is when the Province last recorded the fish here, not a statement that it is caught today.
How to fish Cleland Lake
Best times of year at Cleland Lake
- May - June
- September - October
Cleland Lake fishing regulations
Engine power restriction - 7.5 kW (10 hp). Source: Province of British Columbia
Getting to Cleland Lake
11.3 km of traced road to the campground by way of Westside Rd, Bugaboo Creek FSR and Brisco Rd. The road at the end is a rough surface.
Coordinates: 50.8325, -116.3886
Camping and rec sites at Cleland Lake
- Cleland Lake
- Campsites
- 5 designated
- To the shore
- 29 m
Access: Access the Westside Road from Wilmer or Radium Hot Springs. Cleland Lake Recreation Site is located off Westside Road at the 50km mark. Stay on the main road avoiding spur roads cut for logging access. The road in is passable by 2WD vehicle with the last portion rough for trailers. Alternate access using Westside Road from Brisco is rougher, narrower, and not as suited for trailers.
Coordinates: 50.829117, -116.389437
Depth chart for Cleland Lake
31.7 mdeepest
Cleland Lake runs to 31.7 m (104 ft) at its deepest.
The Province sounded Cleland Lake and published the depth chart surveyed in 1969.
The ice year at Cleland Lake, modelled
Modelled from air temperature, not an ice report. It says nothing about whether ice will hold you.
In the model Cleland Lake froze in 65 of the 65 winters since 1960. Freeze-up falls most years between 29 October and 11 November, and ice-off between 22 April and 9 May. The median winter freezes on 5 November and opens on 2 May.
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.
Cleland Lake is open to ice fishing under the regulations on file.
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.
Cleland Lake climate, 1960 to 2025
Averaged over a year, the air above Cleland 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
- -4.3 Caverage year now
- -5.1 Caverage year then
- -7 daysbelow freezing, change
each yearthe trend across 1960 to 2025
each yearthe trend across 1960 to 2025
This week at Cleland 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 | Partly cloudy | 11° / -2° | 11 km/h, gusts 17 | dry | Steady |
| Wed 21 Oct | Overcast | 18° / 3° | 13 km/h, gusts 20 | dry | Falling (-5.0 hPa) |
| Thu 22 Oct | Overcast | 13° / 3° | 11 km/h, gusts 20 | dry | Falling (-4.3 hPa) |
| Fri 23 Oct | Light drizzle | 10° / 2° | 15 km/h | dry | Rising (+5.4 hPa) |
| Sat 24 Oct | Moderate drizzle | 6° / -1° | 12 km/h | 1 mm | Rising (+13.5 hPa) |
| Sun 25 Oct | Moderate snow | 4° / -5° | 7 km/h | 4 mm | Rising (+4.4 hPa) |
| Mon 26 Oct | Partly cloudy | 5° / -6° | 6 km/h | dry | Steady |
Cleland Lake, in brief
What fish are in Cleland Lake?
Rainbow Trout. Species from the province's fish observation records.
Which management unit is Cleland Lake in?
Cleland Lake is in MU 4-34, in the Kootenays. The BC Freshwater Fishing Regulations Synopsis is organised by management unit; check it before you go.
Trout lakes near Cleland Lake
- Cub Lake 1 km away
- Jade Lake 1 km away
- Topaz Lake 1 km away
- Cartwright Lake 3 km away
- Botts Lake 4 km away
All 162 lakes in the Kootenays, with today's conditions on each.