Ernest Lake
MU 3-20, Thompson-Nicola
50.4742° N, 120.1067° W
- Surface area
- 24.4ha
- Elevation
- 1,193m
Open Ernest Lake in the appThe 7-day forecast, max depth and wildfire smoke check, on the lake's own coordinate.
Ernest Lake at a glance
- Region
- Thompson-Nicola
- Management unit
- MU 3-20
- Species
- Rainbow TroutThe newest of these fish records is from 2025.Species from the province's fish observation records.
- Lake size
- Small Water (< 50 ha)
- Ice fishing
- Open to ice fishing, confirmed
- Coordinates
- 50.4742, -120.1067
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Gear for rainbow trout
Lines, leaders, lures and flies for rainbow trout, searched on Amazon.ca.
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Fish on record at Ernest Lake
| Species | First recorded | Last recorded | Records |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rainbow Trout | 1952 | 2025 | 62 |
A year is when the Province last recorded the fish here, not a statement that it is caught today.
How to fish Ernest Lake
Best times of year at Ernest Lake
- May - June
- September - October
Ernest Lake fishing regulations
Electric motor only - max 7.5 kW. Source: Province of British Columbia
Getting to Ernest Lake
Coordinates: 50.4742, -120.1067
Camping and rec sites at Ernest Lake
- Ernest Lake
- Campsites
- 3 designated
The ice year at Ernest Lake, modelled
Modelled from air temperature, not an ice report. It says nothing about whether ice will hold you.
In the model Ernest Lake froze in 65 of the 65 winters since 1960. Freeze-up falls most years between 2 November and 12 November, and ice-off between 1 May and 18 May. The median winter freezes on 7 November and opens on 10 May.
the middle half of modelled winters the median ice cover in the median winter
Winter 2024-25 in the model: frozen from 18 November 2024 to 22 April 2025, 155 days.
Ernest Lake is open to ice fishing under the regulations on file.
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.
Winterkill at Ernest Lake
- Winter 2025-26Rated low riskA rating from late-winter oxygen profiles, not a definitive result. Winterkill Update: Spring 2026, Freshwater Fisheries Society of BC.
Ernest Lake climate, 1960 to 2025
Averaged over a year, the air above Ernest Lake is 1.3 C warmer than it was in the 1960s. That is 66 years of daily readings, not a forecast.
- +1.3 Csince the 1960s
- 1.6 Caverage year now
- 0.3 Caverage year then
- -12 daysbelow freezing, change
each yearthe trend across 1960 to 2025
each yearthe trend across 1960 to 2025
This week at Ernest 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° / -3° | 12 km/h | dry | Steady |
| Wed 21 Oct | Overcast | 16° / 4° | 16 km/h, gusts 30 | dry | Falling (-7.2 hPa) |
| Thu 22 Oct | Overcast | 11° / 2° | 15 km/h, gusts 23 | dry | Falling (-1.3 hPa) |
| Fri 23 Oct | Overcast | 6° / -2° | 21 km/h, gusts 30 | dry | Rising (+12.4 hPa) |
| Sat 24 Oct | Overcast | 5° / -5° | 10 km/h | dry | Rising (+7.1 hPa) |
| Sun 25 Oct | Partly cloudy | 4° / -6° | 8 km/h | dry | Rising (+2.5 hPa) |
| Mon 26 Oct | Overcast | 7° / -6° | 7 km/h | dry | Falling (-1.5 hPa) |
Ernest Lake, in brief
What fish are in Ernest Lake?
Rainbow Trout. Species from the province's fish observation records.
Which management unit is Ernest Lake in?
Ernest Lake is in MU 3-20, in the Thompson-Nicola. The BC Freshwater Fishing Regulations Synopsis is organised by management unit; check it before you go.
Trout lakes near Ernest Lake
- John Frank Lake 2 km away
- Bulman Lake 3 km away
- Frisken Lake 3 km away
- Roche Lake 3 km away
- Tulip Lake 4 km away
All 342 lakes in the Thompson-Nicola, with today's conditions on each.