Crystal Lake
MU 3-30, Thompson-Nicola
51.4550° N, 120.7639° W
- Surface area
- 157.6ha
- Maximum depth
- 18m
- 59 ft
- Elevation
- 1,138m
- Campsites
- 13
- At Crystal Lake rec site
Crystal Lake is a beautiful and small 55 ha. (135 acre) lake that can be found in British Columbia's South Cariboo approximately 5 kms (3 mi) southwest of neighbouring Bridge Lake on Highway 24 that links 100 Mile House and Little Fort.
Open Crystal Lake in the appThe 7-day forecast, max depth and wildfire smoke check, on the lake's own coordinate.
Crystal Lake at a glance
- Region
- Thompson-Nicola
- Management unit
- MU 3-30
- Species
- Rainbow Trout, Peamouth Chub (last recorded 1994), Chub (General) (last recorded 1952), Longnose Sucker (last recorded 1952), Lake Chub (last recorded 1949)The newest of these fish records is from 2026.Species from the province's fish observation records.
- Lake size
- Medium Lake (50 - 500 ha)
- Ice fishing
- No ice fishing closure on file
- Coordinates
- 51.455, -120.7639
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Gear for rainbow trout
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Fish on record at Crystal Lake
| Species | First recorded | Last recorded | Records |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rainbow Trout | 1937 | 2026 | 133 |
| Peamouth Chub | 1994 | 1994 | 1 |
| Chub (General) | 1949 | 1952 | 2 |
| Longnose Sucker | 1949 | 1952 | 2 |
| Lake Chub | 1949 | 1949 | 1 |
A year is when the Province last recorded the fish here, not a statement that it is caught today.
How to fish Crystal Lake
Best times of year at Crystal Lake
- May - June
- September - October
Crystal Lake fishing regulations
We have no lake specific regulations on file for Crystal Lake yet.
Getting to Crystal Lake
4.8 km of traced road to the campground by way of N Bonaparte Rd and Bridge Lake Business Rte. The road at the end is a loose surface.
Coordinates: 51.455, -120.7639
Camping and rec sites at Crystal Lake
- Crystal Lake
- Campsites
- 13 designated
- To the shore
- 4 m
Access: From 100 Mile House, travel south on Hwy 97 for approximately 8km and turn east onto Hwy 24. Travel along Hwy 24 for approximately 46.8km and turn right onto the Bridge Lake Business Route. Travel 0.8km to the Bridge Lake Store, and keep right onto North Bonaparte Road. Travel 2.2km and keep straight (start of the 2600 Road). Travel another 1.5km and turn left into the Crystal Lake Recreation Site.
Coordinates: 51.457815, -120.757887
Depth chart for Crystal Lake
18 mdeepest
Crystal Lake runs to 18 m (59 ft) at its deepest.
The Province sounded Crystal Lake and published the depth chart surveyed in 1981.
The ice year at Crystal Lake, modelled
Modelled from air temperature, not an ice report. It says nothing about whether ice will hold you.
In the model Crystal 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 28 April and 14 May. The median winter freezes on 7 November and opens on 6 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 24 April 2025, 160 days.
No ice fishing closure is recorded for Crystal 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.
Crystal Lake climate, 1960 to 2025
Averaged over a year, the air above Crystal Lake is 0.9 C warmer than it was in the 1960s. That is 66 years of daily readings, not a forecast.
- +0.9 Csince the 1960s
- 4.1 Caverage year now
- 3.2 Caverage year then
- -8 daysbelow freezing, change
each yearthe trend across 1960 to 2025
each yearthe trend across 1960 to 2025
This week at Crystal 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 | 10° / 1° | 16 km/h, gusts 22 | dry | Steady |
| Wed 21 Oct | Overcast | 13° / 1° | 16 km/h, gusts 33 | dry | Falling (-6.4 hPa) |
| Thu 22 Oct | Overcast | 8° / -1° | 19 km/h, gusts 40 | dry | Rising (+1.7 hPa) |
| Fri 23 Oct | Overcast | 5° / -3° | 15 km/h, gusts 39 | dry | Rising (+12.5 hPa) |
| Sat 24 Oct | Overcast | 6° / 0° | 8 km/h, gusts 61 | dry | Falling (-1.1 hPa) |
| Sun 25 Oct | Overcast | 8° / -1° | 6 km/h, gusts 58 | dry | Rising (+4.1 hPa) |
| Mon 26 Oct | Mainly clear | 9° / -1° | 10 km/h, gusts 24 | dry | Falling (-2.2 hPa) |
Crystal Lake, in brief
What fish are in Crystal Lake?
Rainbow Trout. Species from the province's fish observation records.
Which management unit is Crystal Lake in?
Crystal Lake is in MU 3-30, in the Thompson-Nicola. The BC Freshwater Fishing Regulations Synopsis is organised by management unit; check it before you go.
Trout lakes near Crystal Lake
- Crescent Lake 2 km away
- Dogskin Lake 4 km away
- Webb Lakes 4 km away
- Knight Lake 4 km away
- Eugene Lake 4 km away
All 342 lakes in the Thompson-Nicola, with today's conditions on each.