Elk Lake
MU 5-2, Cariboo
52.4714° N, 122.0581° W
- Surface area
- 51.2ha
- Maximum depth
- 20.4m
- 67 ft
- Elevation
- 822m
- Campsites
- 4
- At Elk (Island) Lake rec site
Open Elk Lake in the appThe 7-day forecast, max depth and wildfire smoke check, on the lake's own coordinate.
Elk Lake at a glance
- Region
- Cariboo
- Management unit
- MU 5-2
- Species
- Rainbow Trout, Redside Shiner (last recorded 1973)The newest of these fish records is from 2026.Species from the province's fish observation records.
- Lake size
- Medium Lake (50 - 500 ha)
- Catch and release
- Yes
- Ice fishing
- Closed to ice fishing
- Coordinates
- 52.4714, -122.0581
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Gear for rainbow trout
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Fish on record at Elk Lake
| Species | First recorded | Last recorded | Records |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rainbow Trout | 1973 | 2026 | 76 |
| Redside Shiner | 1973 | 1973 | 1 |
A year is when the Province last recorded the fish here, not a statement that it is caught today.
How to fish Elk Lake
Best times of year at Elk Lake
- May - June
- September - October
Elk Lake fishing regulations
No Ice Fishing; trout daily quota = 1 (none under 50 cm); single barbless hook; electric motor only - max 7.5 kW. Source: Province of British Columbia
Getting to Elk Lake
Elk Lake has medium open/treed BC Forest Service Campsites. RV accessible. Very rough boat launch. Small boats or canoes must be walked down a path to the lake. A small dock is located at the boat launch. Float tubes and pontoon boats are very popular on this lake.
20.9 km of traced road to the campground by way of Beaver Lake Rd. The road at the end is a rough surface.
Coordinates: 52.4714, -122.0581
Camping and rec sites at Elk Lake
- Elk (Island) Lake
- Campsites
- 4 designated
- To the shore
- 99 m
Access: From Hwy 97 at Mcleese Lake, take the Gibraltar Mine Road for approximately 5km, turn right onto the Beaver Valley Road, travel approximately 20km, site access road is on the left just past the gravel pits.
Coordinates: 52.467887, -122.047028
Depth chart for Elk Lake
20.4 mdeepest
Elk Lake runs to 20.4 m (67 ft) at its deepest.
The Province sounded Elk Lake and published the depth chart surveyed in 1973.
The ice year at Elk Lake, modelled
Modelled from air temperature, not an ice report. It says nothing about whether ice will hold you.
In the model Elk Lake froze in 65 of the 65 winters since 1960. Freeze-up falls most years between 6 November and 19 November, and ice-off between 12 April and 5 May. The median winter freezes on 13 November and opens on 24 April.
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 9 April 2025, 145 days.
Elk 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.
Elk Lake climate, 1960 to 2025
Averaged over a year, the air above Elk Lake is 1.0 C warmer than it was in the 1960s. That is 66 years of daily readings, not a forecast.
- +1.0 Csince the 1960s
- 3.8 Caverage year now
- 2.8 Caverage year then
- -9 daysbelow freezing, change
each yearthe trend across 1960 to 2025
each yearthe trend across 1960 to 2025
This week at Elk 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 | Overcast | 11° / -2° | 12 km/h, gusts 24 | dry | Steady |
| Wed 21 Oct | Overcast | 14° / 1° | 12 km/h, gusts 23 | dry | Falling (-9.8 hPa) |
| Thu 22 Oct | Overcast | 6° / 0° | 13 km/h, gusts 32 | dry | Rising (+4.2 hPa) |
| Fri 23 Oct | Overcast | 6° / -2° | 4 km/h, gusts 12 | dry | Rising (+12.3 hPa) |
| Sat 24 Oct | Overcast | 8° / 0° | 4 km/h, gusts 10 | dry | Falling (-1.4 hPa) |
| Sun 25 Oct | Partly cloudy | 6° / -2° | 4 km/h, gusts 13 | dry | Rising (+6.0 hPa) |
| Mon 26 Oct | Overcast | 7° / -2° | 3 km/h, gusts 11 | dry | Falling (-2.9 hPa) |
Elk Lake, in brief
What fish are in Elk Lake?
Rainbow Trout. Species from the province's fish observation records.
Which management unit is Elk Lake in?
Elk Lake is in MU 5-2, in the Cariboo. The BC Freshwater Fishing Regulations Synopsis is organised by management unit; check it before you go.
Trout lakes near Elk Lake
- Whitestone Lake 2 km away
- Jackson Lake 5 km away
- Kestrel Lake 7 km away
- Marguerite Lake 10 km away
- Skelton Lake 11 km away
All 328 lakes in the Cariboo, with today's conditions on each.