Kestrel Lake
MU 5-2, Cariboo
52.4378° N, 122.1464° W
- Surface area
- 151.6ha
- Elevation
- 946m
Open Kestrel Lake in the appThe 7-day forecast, max depth and wildfire smoke check, on the lake's own coordinate.
Kestrel Lake at a glance
- Region
- Cariboo
- Management unit
- MU 5-2
- Species
- Rainbow Trout, Lake ChubThe newest of these fish records is from 2025.Species from the province's fish observation records.
- Lake size
- Medium Lake (50 - 500 ha)
- Ice fishing
- Open to ice fishing, confirmed
- Coordinates
- 52.4378, -122.1464
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Gear for rainbow trout
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Fish on record at Kestrel Lake
| Species | First recorded | Last recorded | Records |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rainbow Trout | 2000 | 2025 | 30 |
| Lake Chub | 1996 | 1996 | 1 |
A year is when the Province last recorded the fish here, not a statement that it is caught today.
How to fish Kestrel Lake
Best times of year at Kestrel Lake
- May - June
- September - October
Kestrel Lake fishing regulations
We have no lake specific regulations on file for Kestrel Lake yet.
Getting to Kestrel Lake
Coordinates: 52.4378, -122.1464
Camping and rec sites at Kestrel Lake
- Kestrel Lake
No campsite count on file (BC Recreation Sites and Trails)
The ice year at Kestrel Lake, modelled
Modelled from air temperature, not an ice report. It says nothing about whether ice will hold you.
In the model Kestrel Lake froze in 65 of the 65 winters since 1960. Freeze-up falls most years between 31 October and 14 November, and ice-off between 21 April and 10 May. The median winter freezes on 7 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 14 November 2024 to 22 April 2025, 159 days.
Kestrel 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.
Kestrel Lake climate, 1960 to 2025
Averaged over a year, the air above Kestrel 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
- 2.1 Caverage year now
- 1.1 Caverage year then
- -8 daysbelow freezing, change
each yearthe trend across 1960 to 2025
each yearthe trend across 1960 to 2025
This week at Kestrel 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 | 10° / -2° | 10 km/h, gusts 24 | dry | Steady |
| Wed 21 Oct | Overcast | 12° / 1° | 10 km/h, gusts 23 | dry | Falling (-9.8 hPa) |
| Thu 22 Oct | Light drizzle | 5° / -1° | 14 km/h, gusts 33 | dry | Rising (+4.2 hPa) |
| Fri 23 Oct | Overcast | 5° / -2° | 5 km/h, gusts 12 | dry | Rising (+12.3 hPa) |
| Sat 24 Oct | Overcast | 6° / -1° | 7 km/h, gusts 14 | dry | Falling (-1.4 hPa) |
| Sun 25 Oct | Partly cloudy | 5° / -4° | 7 km/h, gusts 13 | dry | Rising (+5.9 hPa) |
| Mon 26 Oct | Overcast | 6° / -1° | 4 km/h, gusts 12 | dry | Falling (-2.8 hPa) |
Kestrel Lake, in brief
What fish are in Kestrel Lake?
Rainbow Trout. Species from the province's fish observation records.
Which management unit is Kestrel Lake in?
Kestrel 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 Kestrel Lake
- Jackson Lake 5 km away
- Howes Lake 6 km away
- Elk Lake 7 km away
- Whitestone Lake 7 km away
- Tyee Lake 10 km away
All 328 lakes in the Cariboo, with today's conditions on each.