Leighton Lake
MU 3-18, Thompson-Nicola
50.6189° N, 120.8456° W
- Surface area
- 46.6ha
- Maximum depth
- 5.5m
- 18 ft
- Elevation
- 1,150m
Located adjacent to Tunkwa Lake in the high rolling plateau above Logan Lake, Leighton is renowned for fast-growing Pennask rainbow trout and heavy chironomid hatches.
Open Leighton Lake in the appThe 7-day forecast, max depth and wildfire smoke check, on the lake's own coordinate.
Trophy fish at Leighton Lake
Leighton Lake is known for trophy Rainbow trout to 6 lb.
- Rainbow trout to 6 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.
Leighton Lake at a glance
- Region
- Thompson-Nicola
- Management unit
- MU 3-18
- Species
- Rainbow TroutThe newest of these fish records is from 2026.Species from the province's fish observation records.
- Lake size
- Small Water (< 50 ha)
- Ice fishing
- Open to ice fishing, confirmed
- Coordinates
- 50.6189, -120.8456
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Gear for rainbow trout
Lines, leaders, lures and flies for rainbow trout, searched on Amazon.ca.
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What people catch at Leighton Lake
Stocked rainbow trout in Tunkwa Lake Provincial Park, mostly 14 to 22 inches with the occasional larger fish, says Fishing with Rod. Chironomids lead, small in spring and size 10 to 12 for the summer bomber hatch.
- Rainbow Trout Stocked
Typically 14 to 22 inches
Bigger fish: the occasional larger fish
Source: Fishing with Rod
Chironomids, size 14 to 16 in early spring and 10 to 12 in July and August for the bomber hatch; trolling may find the bigger cruising fish. Source: Fishing with Rod
The rule that shapes it. No Fishing within 100 m of the mouth of the inlet stream, May 1-Nov 30; No Fishing within 100 m of the Tunkwa Creek outlet, May 1-Nov 30. Source: Province of British Columbia
Fish on record at Leighton Lake
| Species | First recorded | Last recorded | Records |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rainbow Trout | 1939 | 2026 | 232 |
A year is when the Province last recorded the fish here, not a statement that it is caught today.
How to fish Leighton Lake
Chironomid pupae suspended under indicator in 12-18ft water along the north shoals. Micro-leeches and scuds in the spring weedbeds.
Best times of year at Leighton Lake
- May - June
- September - October
Leighton Lake fishing regulations
No Fishing within 100 m of the mouth of the inlet stream, May 1-Nov 30; No Fishing within 100 m of the Tunkwa Creek outlet, May 1-Nov 30. Source: Province of British Columbia
Getting to Leighton Lake
Tunkwa Lake Road off Hwy 1 or Hwy 97C.
Coordinates: 50.6189, -120.8456
Camping and rec sites at Leighton Lake
- Leighton Lake Campground (Tunkwa Provincial Park)
Vehicle-accessible campsites, boat launch, pit toilets
Access: Tunkwa Lake Road (Paved / maintained 2WD gravel)
Depth chart for Leighton Lake
5.5 mdeepest
Leighton Lake runs to 5.5 m (18 ft) at its deepest.
The Province sounded Leighton Lake and published the depth chart surveyed in 1968.
The ice year at Leighton Lake, modelled
Modelled from air temperature, not an ice report. It says nothing about whether ice will hold you.
In the model Leighton Lake froze in 65 of the 65 winters since 1960. Freeze-up falls most years between 5 November and 18 November, and ice-off between 25 April and 15 May. The median winter freezes on 12 November and opens on 5 May.
the middle half of modelled winters the median ice cover in the median winter
Winter 2024-25 in the model: frozen from 18 November 2024 to 10 April 2025, 143 days.
Leighton 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.
Winterkill at Leighton Lake
- Winter 2025-26Rated low riskA rating from late-winter oxygen profiles, not a definitive result. Winterkill Update: Spring 2026, Freshwater Fisheries Society of BC.
Leighton Lake climate, 1960 to 2025
Averaged over a year, the air above Leighton Lake is 1.2 C warmer than it was in the 1960s. That is 66 years of daily readings, not a forecast.
- +1.2 Csince the 1960s
- 4.2 Caverage year now
- 3.0 Caverage year then
- -15 daysbelow freezing, change
each yearthe trend across 1960 to 2025
each yearthe trend across 1960 to 2025
This week at Leighton 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 | 11° / -2° | 11 km/h | dry | Steady |
| Wed 21 Oct | Overcast | 16° / 3° | 16 km/h, gusts 32 | dry | Falling (-7.5 hPa) |
| Thu 22 Oct | Overcast | 9° / 2° | 13 km/h, gusts 23 | dry | Steady |
| Fri 23 Oct | Fog | 7° / -2° | 15 km/h, gusts 34 | dry | Rising (+12.7 hPa) |
| Sat 24 Oct | Overcast | 6° / -4° | 8 km/h, gusts 20 | dry | Rising (+6.3 hPa) |
| Sun 25 Oct | Overcast | 5° / -5° | 8 km/h | dry | Rising (+2.4 hPa) |
| Mon 26 Oct | Overcast | 6° / -4° | 9 km/h | dry | Falling (-1.7 hPa) |
Leighton Lake, in brief
What fish are in Leighton Lake?
Rainbow Trout. Species from the province's fish observation records.
Which management unit is Leighton Lake in?
Leighton Lake is in MU 3-18, in the Thompson-Nicola. The BC Freshwater Fishing Regulations Synopsis is organised by management unit; check it before you go.
Trout lakes near Leighton Lake
- Tunkwa Lake 1 km away
- Duffy Lake 10 km away
- Dairy Lakes 11 km away
- Dominic Lake 12 km away
- Logan Lake 14 km away
All 342 lakes in the Thompson-Nicola, with today's conditions on each.