Helena Lake
MU 5-2, Cariboo
51.7908° N, 121.6422° W
- Surface area
- 245.5ha
- Maximum depth
- 12.5m
- 41 ft
- Elevation
- 960m
- Campsites
- 15
- At Helena Lake rec site
Open Helena Lake in the appThe 7-day forecast, max depth and wildfire smoke check, on the lake's own coordinate.
Trophy fish at Helena Lake
Helena Lake is known for trophy Rainbow trout to 10 lb.
- Rainbow trout to 10 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.
Helena Lake at a glance
- Region
- Cariboo
- Management unit
- MU 5-2
- Species
- Rainbow Trout, Lake Chub (last recorded 1974)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
- No ice fishing closure on file
- Coordinates
- 51.7908, -121.6422
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Gear for rainbow trout
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Fish on record at Helena Lake
| Species | First recorded | Last recorded | Records |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rainbow Trout | 1974 | 2026 | 61 |
| Lake Chub | 1974 | 1974 | 1 |
A year is when the Province last recorded the fish here, not a statement that it is caught today.
How to fish Helena Lake
Best times of year at Helena Lake
- May - June
- September - October
Helena Lake fishing regulations
We have no lake specific regulations on file for Helena Lake yet.
Getting to Helena Lake
A large Forest Service Campsite with room for 15 camper type units. An easy cartop boat and trailer launch is available. The site is motorhome accessible.
11.6 km of traced road to the campground by way of Tatton-Helena FSR, Tatton-Canama FSR, Helena Lake Rd and Wright Station Rd. The road at the end is a seasonal surface. It stops 110 m short of the campground.
Coordinates: 51.7908, -121.6422
Camping and rec sites at Helena Lake
- Helena Lake
- Campsites
- 15 designated
- To the shore
- 26 m
Access: Located southwest of Lac La Hache. Access is off the Wright Station Road. Travel 5 km down the Wright Station Road and turn left onto the Tatton-Canama Forest Service Road. Travel 2.9 km and turn right onto the Tatton-Helena Forest Service Road. Travel another 3.5 km to the Helena Lake Recreation Site.
Coordinates: 51.786786, -121.628526
Depth chart for Helena Lake
12.5 mdeepest3.4 mmean
Helena Lake runs to 12.5 m (41 ft) at its deepest.
The mean of 3.4 m (11 ft) is read off the same chart, surveyed in April 1976.
The Province sounded Helena Lake and published the depth chart surveyed in 1976. It runs to 2 sheets.
The ice year at Helena Lake, modelled
Modelled from air temperature, not an ice report. It says nothing about whether ice will hold you.
In the model Helena Lake froze in 65 of the 65 winters since 1960. Freeze-up falls most years between 6 November and 18 November, and ice-off between 9 April and 29 April. The median winter freezes on 11 November and opens on 21 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 6 April 2025, 142 days.
No ice fishing closure is recorded for Helena 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.
Helena Lake climate, 1960 to 2025
Averaged over a year, the air above Helena 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
- 4.5 Caverage year now
- 3.5 Caverage year then
- -9 daysbelow freezing, change
each yearthe trend across 1960 to 2025
each yearthe trend across 1960 to 2025
This week at Helena 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° / -3° | 12 km/h, gusts 27 | dry | Steady |
| Wed 21 Oct | Overcast | 15° / -1° | 13 km/h, gusts 24 | dry | Falling (-10.0 hPa) |
| Thu 22 Oct | Light drizzle | 7° / 0° | 17 km/h, gusts 39 | dry | Rising (+3.4 hPa) |
| Fri 23 Oct | Overcast | 6° / -3° | 10 km/h, gusts 17 | dry | Rising (+12.3 hPa) |
| Sat 24 Oct | Slight snow | 6° / -1° | 7 km/h, gusts 16 | dry | Falling (-1.8 hPa) |
| Sun 25 Oct | Overcast | 8° / -4° | 6 km/h, gusts 17 | dry | Rising (+4.6 hPa) |
| Mon 26 Oct | Partly cloudy | 9° / -2° | 9 km/h, gusts 24 | dry | Falling (-3.1 hPa) |
Helena Lake, in brief
What fish are in Helena Lake?
Rainbow Trout. Species from the province's fish observation records.
Which management unit is Helena Lake in?
Helena 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 Helena Lake
- Camacho Lake 3 km away
- Phililloo Lake 6 km away
- Lac La Hache 7 km away
- Lac La Hache Lake 7 km away
- Bobtail (Naltesby) Lake 16 km away
All 328 lakes in the Cariboo, with today's conditions on each.