Howard Lake
MU 5-1, Cariboo
51.8125° N, 120.7908° W
- Surface area
- 172.5ha
- Maximum depth
- 35.7m
- 117 ft
- Elevation
- 937m
- Campsites
- 32
- At Howard Lake rec site
Open Howard Lake in the appThe 7-day forecast, max depth and wildfire smoke check, on the lake's own coordinate.
Trophy fish at Howard Lake
Howard Lake is known for trophy Rainbow trout to 5 lb.
- Rainbow trout to 5 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.
Howard Lake at a glance
- Region
- Cariboo
- Management unit
- MU 5-1
- Species
- Rainbow TroutThe newest of these fish records is from 2025.Species from the province's fish observation records.
- Lake size
- Medium Lake (50 - 500 ha)
- Catch and release
- Yes
- Ice fishing
- Open to ice fishing, confirmed
- Coordinates
- 51.8125, -120.7908
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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 Howard Lake
| Species | First recorded | Last recorded | Records |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rainbow Trout | 1973 | 2025 | 63 |
A year is when the Province last recorded the fish here, not a statement that it is caught today.
How to fish Howard Lake
Best times of year at Howard Lake
- May - June
- September - October
Howard Lake fishing regulations
Engine power restriction - 7.5 kW (10 hp). Source: Province of British Columbia
Getting to Howard Lake
There is a large Forest Service campsite, complete with boat launch and picnic site located at this "trophy" lake. Although the campsite is RV accessible the road is steep and can some times be rough. There is a 10hp maximum for motors.
13.1 km of traced road to the campground by way of MacDonald-Takagi FSR and Canim Lake Rd S. The road at the end is a rough surface.
Coordinates: 51.8125, -120.7908
Camping and rec sites at Howard Lake
- Brunson Lake Recreation Site
No campsite count on file (BC Recreation Sites and Trails)
Access: Forestry Service Road (Cariboo-Chilcotin Natural Resource District) - Howard Lake
- Campsites
- 32 designated
- To the shore
- 40 m
Coordinates: 51.818223, -120.810424
Depth chart for Howard Lake
35.7 mdeepest
Howard Lake runs to 35.7 m (117 ft) at its deepest.
The Province sounded Howard Lake and published the depth chart surveyed in 1972.
The ice year at Howard Lake, modelled
Modelled from air temperature, not an ice report. It says nothing about whether ice will hold you.
In the model Howard Lake froze in 65 of the 65 winters since 1960. Freeze-up falls most years between 8 November and 23 November, and ice-off between 19 April and 6 May. The median winter freezes on 15 November and opens on 27 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 27 March 2025, 132 days.
Howard 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.
Howard Lake climate, 1960 to 2025
Averaged over a year, the air above Howard 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 Howard 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 | 12° / 1° | 7 km/h, gusts 19 | dry | Steady |
| Wed 21 Oct | Overcast | 15° / 4° | 7 km/h, gusts 19 | dry | Falling (-9.6 hPa) |
| Thu 22 Oct | Light drizzle | 10° / 2° | 15 km/h, gusts 36 | dry | Rising (+1.5 hPa) |
| Fri 23 Oct | Overcast | 7° / 0° | 7 km/h, gusts 16 | dry | Rising (+13.5 hPa) |
| Sat 24 Oct | Overcast | 7° / 2° | 4 km/h, gusts 10 | dry | Falling (-1.7 hPa) |
| Sun 25 Oct | Overcast | 7° / 0° | 6 km/h, gusts 16 | dry | Rising (+5.9 hPa) |
| Mon 26 Oct | Overcast | 8° / 1° | 4 km/h, gusts 15 | dry | Falling (-2.0 hPa) |
Howard Lake, in brief
What fish are in Howard Lake?
Rainbow Trout. Species from the province's fish observation records.
Which management unit is Howard Lake in?
Howard 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 Howard Lake
- Mcneil Lake 6 km away
- Canim Lake 6 km away
- Greenlee Lake 7 km away
- Squirrel Lake 9 km away
- Christmas Lake 10 km away
All 328 lakes in the Cariboo, with today's conditions on each.