Green Lake
MU 5-1, Cariboo
51.4250° N, 121.2100° W
- Surface area
- 3006.3ha
- Maximum depth
- 36m
- 118 ft. Province survey, 1979
- Elevation
- 1,074m
Famed for its striking turquoise-green color, warm shallows, and abundant rainbow trout.
Open Green Lake in the appThe 7-day forecast, max depth and wildfire smoke check, on the lake's own coordinate.
Trophy fish at Green Lake
Green Lake is known for trophy Lake trout to 15 lb.
- Rainbow trout to 8 lb
- Lake trout to 15 lb
Trophy sizes this lake is known for, not a typical catch. They are historical records from our own big fish list, with no date on file, not recent catches.
Green Lake at a glance
- Region
- Cariboo
- Management unit
- MU 5-1
- Species
- Rainbow Trout, Lake Trout (last recorded 1909), Kokanee, Brook Trout (last recorded 1972), Lake Chub, Bridgelip Sucker (last recorded 1983), Longnose Sucker (last recorded 1961), Redside Shiner (last recorded 1961), White Sucker (last recorded 1961)The newest of these fish records is from 2026.Species from the province's fish observation records.
- Lake size
- Large Water (> 500 ha)
- Ice fishing
- Open to ice fishing, confirmed
- Coordinates
- 51.425, -121.21
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Gear for lake trout
Lines, leaders, lures and flies for lake trout, searched on Amazon.ca.
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Fish on record at Green Lake
| Species | First recorded | Last recorded | Records |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rainbow Trout | 1939 | 2026 | 283 |
| Lake Trout | 1909 | 1909 | 1 |
| Kokanee | 1961 | 2026 | 62 |
| Brook Trout | 1972 | 1972 | 1 |
| Lake Chub | 1961 | 2016 | 4 |
| Bridgelip Sucker | 1983 | 1983 | 1 |
| Longnose Sucker | 1961 | 1961 | 2 |
| Redside Shiner | 1961 | 1961 | 1 |
| White Sucker | 1961 | 1961 | 1 |
A year is when the Province last recorded the fish here, not a statement that it is caught today.
How to fish Green Lake
Trolling wedding bands with spinners, casting spoons around weed points, chironomids in spring.
Best times of year at Green Lake
- May - June
- September - October
- Winter Ice Fishing
Green Lake fishing regulations
No Fishing northeast of line between boundary signs on opposite shores of the bay at the mouth of Watch Creek, Mar 1-May 31. Source: Province of British Columbia
Getting to Green Lake
Green Lake Provincial Park (multiple boat launches: Sunset View, Emerald Bay, Arrowhead).
Coordinates: 51.425, -121.21
Camping and rec sites at Green Lake
- Sunset View Campground (Green Lake Provincial Park)
54 vehicle-accessible campsites, concrete boat ramp, sandy swimming beach, sani-station
Facilities: Concrete Boat Launch, Vehicle Campsites, Sandy Beach, Sani-Station, Pit Toilets
Access: Paved North Green Lake Rd (2WD) - Emerald Bay Campground (Green Lake Provincial Park)
51 vehicle-accessible campsites, concrete boat ramp, dock, swimming beach
Facilities: Concrete Boat Launch, Vehicle Campsites, Dock, Sandy Beach, Pit Toilets
Access: Paved North Green Lake Rd (2WD) - Arrowhead Campground (Green Lake Provincial Park)
41 vehicle-accessible campsites in quiet aspen forest, boat launch
Facilities: Boat Launch, Vehicle Campsites, Pit Toilets, Fire Rings, Tables
Access: Paved North Green Lake Rd (2WD)
Depth chart for Green Lake
36 mdeepest11.9 mmean
Green Lake runs to 36 m (118 ft) at its deepest, by the Province survey, 1979.
The mean of 11.9 m (39 ft) is read off the same chart, surveyed in October 1979.
The Province sounded Green Lake and published the depth chart surveyed in 1979. It runs to 3 sheets.
The ice year at Green Lake, modelled
Modelled from air temperature, not an ice report. It says nothing about whether ice will hold you.
In the model Green Lake froze in 65 of the 65 winters since 1960. Freeze-up falls most years between 5 November and 16 November, and ice-off between 22 April and 9 May. The median winter freezes on 8 November and opens on 30 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 11 April 2025, 147 days.
Green 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.
Green Lake climate, 1960 to 2025
Averaged over a year, the air above Green 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
- 3.8 Caverage year now
- 2.7 Caverage year then
- -11 daysbelow freezing, change
each yearthe trend across 1960 to 2025
each yearthe trend across 1960 to 2025
This week at Green 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 | 2° / 1° | 14 km/h, gusts 34 | dry | Steady |
| Wed 21 Oct | Overcast | 12° / 1° | 14 km/h, gusts 34 | dry | Falling (-6.0 hPa) |
| Thu 22 Oct | Slight rain | 6° / 0° | 19 km/h, gusts 45 | dry | Rising (+1.3 hPa) |
| Fri 23 Oct | Overcast | 5° / -2° | 19 km/h, gusts 47 | dry | Rising (+13.0 hPa) |
| Sat 24 Oct | Overcast | 6° / 0° | 6 km/h, gusts 54 | dry | Falling (-1.4 hPa) |
| Sun 25 Oct | Partly cloudy | 8° / -1° | 4 km/h, gusts 48 | dry | Rising (+4.2 hPa) |
| Mon 26 Oct | Partly cloudy | 10° / -1° | 8 km/h, gusts 32 | dry | Falling (-2.7 hPa) |
Green Lake, in brief
What fish are in Green Lake?
Rainbow Trout, Lake Trout (last recorded 1909), Kokanee, Brook Trout (last recorded 1972). Species from the province's fish observation records.
Which management unit is Green Lake in?
Green 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 Green Lake
- Nolan Lake 5 km away
- Little Horse Lake 5 km away
- Jim Lake 7 km away
- Watch Lake 8 km away
- Komori Lake 8 km away
All 328 lakes in the Cariboo, with today's conditions on each.