Cougar Lake
MU 5-1, Cariboo
51.7133° N, 120.6533° W
- Surface area
- 12.4ha
- Maximum depth
- 9.8m
- 32 ft
- Elevation
- 1,139m
- Campsites
- 3
- At Cougar Lake rec site
Open Cougar Lake in the appThe 7-day forecast, max depth and wildfire smoke check, on the lake's own coordinate.
Cougar Lake at a glance
- Region
- Cariboo
- Management unit
- MU 5-1
- Species
- Rainbow Trout (last recorded 1994), Minnow (General) (last recorded 1992), Northern Pikeminnow (last recorded 1992)The newest of these fish records is from 1994.Species from the province's fish observation records.
- Lake size
- Small Water (< 50 ha)
- Coordinates
- 51.713268, -120.653277
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Fish on record at Cougar Lake
| Species | First recorded | Last recorded | Records |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rainbow Trout | 1977 | 1994 | 3 |
| Minnow (General) | 1977 | 1992 | 2 |
| Northern Pikeminnow | 1972 | 1992 | 2 |
A year is when the Province last recorded the fish here, not a statement that it is caught today.
Cougar Lake fishing regulations
We have no lake specific regulations on file for Cougar Lake yet.
Getting to Cougar Lake
28.6 km of traced road to the campground by way of Bowers-Canim FSR and Mahood Lake Rd. The road at the end is a loose surface.
Coordinates: 51.713268, -120.653277
Camping and rec sites at Cougar Lake
- Cougar Lake
- Campsites
- 3 designated
- To the shore
- 19 m
Access: From 100 Mile House, travel about 8 km south on Hwy 97 and turn left/east onto Hwy 24. Travel 30.5 km along Hwy 24 and turn left onto Horse Lake Road, just before the Interlakes Centre. Travel 4.4 km and turn right onto Mahood Lake Road. Travel approximately 9.7 km, where the road changes to gravel. This is the start of the 8000 Road, or Mahood Lake Public Road. Travel approximately 10 km and turn right/east onto the Bowers Lake Forest Service Road (8200 Road). Travel approximately 12.2 km and turn right to access the recreation site.
Coordinates: 51.71469, -120.653559
Depth chart for Cougar Lake
9.8 mdeepest
Cougar Lake runs to 9.8 m (32 ft) at its deepest.
The Province sounded Cougar Lake and published the depth chart surveyed in 1993.
The ice year at Cougar Lake, modelled
Modelled from air temperature, not an ice report. It says nothing about whether ice will hold you.
In the model Cougar Lake froze in 65 of the 65 winters since 1960. Freeze-up falls most years between 1 November and 14 November, and ice-off between 2 May and 19 May. The median winter freezes on 7 November and opens on 12 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 14 April 2025, 150 days.
We have no ice fishing regulation on file for Cougar 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.
Cougar Lake climate, 1960 to 2025
Averaged over a year, the air above Cougar Lake is 1.1 C warmer than it was in the 1960s. That is 66 years of daily readings, not a forecast.
- +1.1 Csince the 1960s
- 2.3 Caverage year now
- 1.2 Caverage year then
- -11 daysbelow freezing, change
each yearthe trend across 1960 to 2025
each yearthe trend across 1960 to 2025
This week at Cougar 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wed 21 Oct | Overcast | 12° / 3° | 16 km/h, gusts 36 | dry | Steady |
| Thu 22 Oct | Moderate snow | 7° / -1° | 17 km/h, gusts 39 | 5 mm | Rising (+3.1 hPa) |
| Fri 23 Oct | Fog | 4° / -2° | 16 km/h, gusts 48 | dry | Rising (+12.7 hPa) |
| Sat 24 Oct | Overcast | 5° / -1° | 9 km/h, gusts 46 | dry | Falling (-4.2 hPa) |
| Sun 25 Oct | Overcast | 8° / 0° | 5 km/h, gusts 19 | dry | Rising (+1.7 hPa) |
| Mon 26 Oct | Overcast | 10° / 0° | 4 km/h, gusts 13 | dry | Falling (-5.0 hPa) |
| Tue 27 Oct | Overcast | 5° / -3° | 13 km/h | dry | Rising (+4.0 hPa) |
Cougar Lake, in brief
What fish are in Cougar Lake?
Rainbow Trout (last recorded 1994). Species from the province's fish observation records.
How big is Cougar Lake?
Cougar Lake covers about 12.4 ha, by the province's Freshwater Atlas.
Which management unit is Cougar Lake in?
Cougar Lake is in MU 5-1, in the Cariboo. The BC Freshwater Fishing Regulations Synopsis is organised by management unit; check it before you go.
Trout lakes near Cougar Lake
- Lorin Lake 3 km away
- Preacher Lake 5 km away
- Donnely Lake 5 km away
- Bowers Lake 6 km away
- Boundary Line Lake 7 km away
All 328 lakes in the Cariboo, with today's conditions on each.