Donnely Lake
MU 5-1, Cariboo
51.7558° N, 120.6728° W
- Surface area
- 99.4ha
- Maximum depth
- 35.5m
- 116 ft
- Elevation
- 1,168m
Open Donnely Lake in the appThe 7-day forecast, max depth and wildfire smoke check, on the lake's own coordinate.
Donnely Lake at a glance
- Region
- Cariboo
- Management unit
- MU 5-1
- Species
- Rainbow Trout, Longnose Sucker (last recorded 1990), Redside Shiner (last recorded 1990)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
- Closed to ice fishing
- Coordinates
- 51.7558, -120.6728
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Gear for rainbow trout
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Fish on record at Donnely Lake
| Species | First recorded | Last recorded | Records |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rainbow Trout | 1975 | 2026 | 35 |
| Longnose Sucker | 1990 | 1990 | 1 |
| Redside Shiner | 1990 | 1990 | 1 |
A year is when the Province last recorded the fish here, not a statement that it is caught today.
How to fish Donnely Lake
Best times of year at Donnely Lake
- May - June
- September - October
Donnely Lake fishing regulations
No Ice Fishing; Trout daily quota = 1 (none under 50 cm); bait ban, single barbless hook, no powered boats. Source: Province of British Columbia
Getting to Donnely Lake
Coordinates: 51.7558, -120.6728
Depth chart for Donnely Lake
35.5 mdeepest
Donnely Lake runs to 35.5 m (116 ft) at its deepest.
The Province sounded Donnely Lake and published the depth chart surveyed in 1991.
The ice year at Donnely Lake, modelled
Modelled from air temperature, not an ice report. It says nothing about whether ice will hold you.
In the model Donnely Lake froze in 65 of the 65 winters since 1960. Freeze-up falls most years between 31 October and 14 November, and ice-off between 5 May and 21 May. The median winter freezes on 6 November and opens on 13 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 17 April 2025, 153 days.
Donnely Lake is closed to ice fishing.
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.
Donnely Lake climate, 1960 to 2025
Averaged over a year, the air above Donnely 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 Donnely 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 | Mainly clear | 11° / 0° | 6 km/h, gusts 16 | dry | Steady |
| Wed 21 Oct | Overcast | 14° / 2° | 9 km/h, gusts 21 | dry | Falling (-9.7 hPa) |
| Thu 22 Oct | Overcast | 8° / -1° | 16 km/h, gusts 38 | dry | Rising (+2.0 hPa) |
| Fri 23 Oct | Overcast | 6° / -2° | 6 km/h, gusts 15 | dry | Rising (+13.7 hPa) |
| Sat 24 Oct | Overcast | 6° / 0° | 4 km/h, gusts 10 | dry | Falling (-1.9 hPa) |
| Sun 25 Oct | Partly cloudy | 6° / -2° | 5 km/h, gusts 17 | dry | Rising (+5.9 hPa) |
| Mon 26 Oct | Overcast | 8° / -2° | 4 km/h, gusts 15 | dry | Falling (-2.5 hPa) |
Donnely Lake, in brief
What fish are in Donnely Lake?
Rainbow Trout. Species from the province's fish observation records.
Which management unit is Donnely Lake in?
Donnely 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 Donnely Lake
- Lorin Lake 4 km away
- Cougar Lake 5 km away
- Mcneil Lake 8 km away
- Boundary Line Lake 9 km away
- Preacher Lake 9 km away
All 328 lakes in the Cariboo, with today's conditions on each.