Idleback Lake
MU 8-12, Okanagan
49.5078° N, 119.2947° W
- Surface area
- 13.4ha
- Maximum depth
- 6m
- 20 ft. Province survey, 1983
- Elevation
- 1,436m
- Campsites
- 21
- At Idleback Lake rec site
Open Idleback Lake in the appThe 7-day forecast, max depth and wildfire smoke check, on the lake's own coordinate.
Idleback Lake at a glance
- Region
- Okanagan
- Management unit
- MU 8-12
- 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
- Closed to ice fishing
- Coordinates
- 49.5078, -119.2947
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Gear for rainbow trout
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Fish on record at Idleback Lake
| Species | First recorded | Last recorded | Records |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rainbow Trout | 1969 | 2025 | 172 |
A year is when the Province last recorded the fish here, not a statement that it is caught today.
How to fish Idleback Lake
Best times of year at Idleback Lake
- May - June
- September - October
Idleback Lake fishing regulations
No Ice Fishing; Trout daily quota = 1; bait ban, single barbless hook; electric motor only - max 7.5 kW. Source: Province of British Columbia
Getting to Idleback Lake
26.7 km of traced road to the campground by way of Okanagan Falls FSR and Carmi Creek FSR. The road at the end is a loose surface.
Coordinates: 49.5078, -119.2947
Camping and rec sites at Idleback Lake
- Idleback Lake
- Campsites
- 21 designated
- To the shore
- 36 m
Access: From Penticton, Carmi Road, take Ellis FSR 13.5 km to the 201 FSR. Turn left onto the 201, and drive 6.5 km and turn left into Idleback Recreation Site. <BR> <BR> From Hwy 33, turn south on the 201 FSR and drive south 36.2 km to the Recreation Site.
Coordinates: 49.509406, -119.29926
Depth chart for Idleback Lake
6 mdeepest3 mmean
Idleback Lake runs to 6 m (20 ft) at its deepest, by the Province survey, 1983.
The mean of 3 m (10 ft) is read off the same chart, surveyed in November 1983.
The Province sounded Idleback Lake and published the depth chart surveyed in 1983.
The ice year at Idleback Lake, modelled
Modelled from air temperature, not an ice report. It says nothing about whether ice will hold you.
In the model Idleback Lake froze in 65 of the 65 winters since 1960. Freeze-up falls most years between 26 October and 7 November, and ice-off between 11 May and 27 May. The median winter freezes on 1 November and opens on 18 May.
the middle half of modelled winters the median ice cover in the median winter
Winter 2024-25 in the model: frozen from 29 October 2024 to 8 May 2025, 191 days.
Idleback 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.
Idleback Lake climate, 1960 to 2025
Averaged over a year, the air above Idleback 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
- 4.0 Caverage year now
- 3.0 Caverage year then
- -7 daysbelow freezing, change
each yearthe trend across 1960 to 2025
each yearthe trend across 1960 to 2025
This week at Idleback 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 | Partly cloudy | 10° / 0° | 13 km/h | dry | Steady |
| Wed 21 Oct | Overcast | 14° / 4° | 12 km/h, gusts 22 | dry | Falling (-4.9 hPa) |
| Thu 22 Oct | Overcast | 14° / 5° | 12 km/h | dry | Falling (-5.1 hPa) |
| Fri 23 Oct | Overcast | 6° / -2° | 20 km/h, gusts 34 | dry | Rising (+11.8 hPa) |
| Sat 24 Oct | Overcast | 8° / -4° | 6 km/h | dry | Rising (+6.3 hPa) |
| Sun 25 Oct | Overcast | 6° / -3° | 8 km/h | dry | Rising (+2.7 hPa) |
| Mon 26 Oct | Overcast | 9° / -5° | 6 km/h | dry | Steady |
Idleback Lake, in brief
What fish are in Idleback Lake?
Rainbow Trout. Species from the province's fish observation records.
Which management unit is Idleback Lake in?
Idleback Lake is in MU 8-12, in the Okanagan. The BC Freshwater Fishing Regulations Synopsis is organised by management unit; check it before you go.
Trout lakes near Idleback Lake
- Allendale Lake 13 km away
- Solco Lake 17 km away
- Greyback Lake 17 km away
- Lower Barge Lake 18 km away
- Arlington Lakes 19 km away
All 212 lakes in the Okanagan, with today's conditions on each.