Crystal Lake
MU 1-5, Vancouver Island
49.0447° N, 123.9581° W
- Surface area
- 39ha
- Elevation
- 150m
Located 8 km (5 mi) west of the Island Highway. Access is via Spurston Road (14.5 km or 9 mi north of Ladysmith) and 1.6 km (1 mi) of logging road.
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
- Vancouver Island
- Management unit
- MU 1-5
- Species
- Cutthroat Trout, Rainbow Trout (last recorded 1947), Threespine SticklebackThe newest of these fish records is from 2009.Species from the province's fish observation records.
- Lake size
- Small Water (< 50 ha)
- Ice fishing
- No ice fishing closure on file
- Coordinates
- 49.0447, -123.9581
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Gear for cutthroat trout
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Fish on record at Crystal Lake
| Species | First recorded | Last recorded | Records |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cutthroat Trout | 1954 | 2005 | 30 |
| Rainbow Trout | 1927 | 1947 | 4 |
| Threespine Stickleback | 2006 | 2009 | 4 |
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
Wilderness camping is permitted and a car top boat launch is available.
10.5 km of traced road to the shore by way of Spruston Rd. The road at the end is a loose surface. It stops 190 m short of the shore.
Coordinates: 49.0447, -123.9581
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 48 of the 65 winters since 1960. Freeze-up falls most years between 15 December and 12 January, and ice-off between 5 January and 5 February. The median winter freezes on 27 December and opens on 18 January.
the middle half of modelled winters the median ice cover in the median winter
Winter 2024-25 in the model: frozen from 2 February 2025 to 20 February 2025, 18 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 0.7 C warmer than it was in the 1960s. That is 66 years of daily readings, not a forecast.
- +0.7 Csince the 1960s
- 8.9 Caverage year now
- 8.2 Caverage year then
- -11 daysbelow freezing, change
each yearthe trend across 1960 to 2025
each yearthe trend across 1960 to 2025
This week at 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 | 17° / 6° | 15 km/h, gusts 24 | dry | Steady |
| Wed 21 Oct | Overcast | 18° / 10° | 12 km/h, gusts 21 | dry | Falling (-5.5 hPa) |
| Thu 22 Oct | Overcast | 14° / 6° | 15 km/h, gusts 28 | dry | Steady |
| Fri 23 Oct | Mainly clear | 14° / 4° | 8 km/h | dry | Rising (+10.2 hPa) |
| Sat 24 Oct | Overcast | 13° / 5° | 6 km/h | dry | Rising (+2.3 hPa) |
| Sun 25 Oct | Overcast | 16° / 7° | 6 km/h | dry | Falling (-1.5 hPa) |
| Mon 26 Oct | Overcast | 16° / 8° | 7 km/h | dry | Steady |
Crystal Lake, in brief
What fish are in Crystal Lake?
Cutthroat Trout, Rainbow Trout (last recorded 1947). Species from the province's fish observation records.
Which management unit is Crystal Lake in?
Crystal Lake is in MU 1-5, on Vancouver Island. The BC Freshwater Fishing Regulations Synopsis is organised by management unit; check it before you go.
Trout lakes near Crystal Lake
- Harewood (Extension) Lake 6 km away
- Quennell Lake 10 km away
- Michael Lake 11 km away
- Holden Lake 11 km away
- Long Lake (Nanaimo) 12 km away
All 193 lakes on Vancouver Island, with today's conditions on each.