Little Shuswap Lake
MU 3-27, Thompson-Nicola
50.8579° N, 119.6295° W
- Surface area
- 1810ha
- Maximum depth
- 59.4m
- 195 ft
- Elevation
- 347m
Located directly downstream from Shuswap Lake, Little Shuswap Lake benefits from constant current and nutrient transport via the Little River. It offers incredible action for trophy Gerrard rainbows and bull trout.
Open Little Shuswap Lake in the appThe 7-day forecast, max depth and wildfire smoke check, on the lake's own coordinate.
Trophy fish at Little Shuswap Lake
Little Shuswap Lake is known for trophy Lake trout to 15 lb.
- Rainbow trout to 10 lb
- Lake trout to 15 lb
- Bull trout to 8 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.
Little Shuswap Lake at a glance
- Region
- Thompson-Nicola
- Management unit
- MU 3-27
- Species
- Rainbow Trout (last recorded 1989), Lake Trout, Bull Trout, Kokanee, Burbot (last recorded 1989), Mountain Whitefish (last recorded 1989), Lake Whitefish (last recorded 1975), Chinook Salmon, Salmon (General), Coho Salmon (last recorded 1980), Northern Pikeminnow (last recorded 1989), Sucker (General) (last recorded 1989), Lake Chub (last recorded 1989), Chub (General) (last recorded 1975)The newest of these fish records is from 2005.Species from the province's fish observation records.
- Lake size
- Large Water (> 500 ha)
- Ice fishing
- No ice fishing closure on file
- Coordinates
- 50.857859, -119.629485
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Gear for lake trout
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Fish on record at Little Shuswap Lake
| Species | First recorded | Last recorded | Records |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rainbow Trout | 1941 | 1989 | 6 |
| Lake Trout | 1950 | 2005 | 4 |
| Burbot | 1975 | 1989 | 2 |
| Mountain Whitefish | 1975 | 1989 | 2 |
| Lake Whitefish | 1975 | 1975 | 1 |
| Chinook Salmon | 1975 | 1997 | 4 |
| Salmon (General) | 2005 | 2005 | 1 |
| Coho Salmon | 1979 | 1980 | 2 |
| Northern Pikeminnow | 1975 | 1989 | 2 |
| Sucker (General) | 1975 | 1989 | 2 |
| Lake Chub | 1989 | 1989 | 1 |
| Chub (General) | 1975 | 1975 | 1 |
A year is when the Province last recorded the fish here, not a statement that it is caught today.
How to fish Little Shuswap Lake
Troll bucktail flies on floating lines or light sink tips in the current seams near the river mouth. Flat-line troll spoons or Apex lures at 2.5-3.2 mph.
Best times of year at Little Shuswap Lake
- Spring (May-June)
- Fall (Sept-Nov)
Little Shuswap Lake fishing regulations
We have no lake specific regulations on file for Little Shuswap Lake yet.
Getting to Little Shuswap Lake
Paved Trans-Canada Hwy 1 access in Chase and Squilax / Talking Rock Resort.
Coordinates: 50.857859, -119.629485
Camping and rec sites at Little Shuswap Lake
- Chase Memorial Park & Marina
Municipal park and resort accommodations with boat launch
Facilities: Concrete Ramp, Dock, Toilets, Paved Parking
Access: Paved Hwy 1
Depth chart for Little Shuswap Lake
59.4 mdeepest14.3 mmean
Little Shuswap Lake runs to 59.4 m (195 ft) at its deepest.
The Province sounded Little Shuswap Lake and published the depth chart.
The ice year at Little Shuswap Lake, modelled
Modelled from air temperature, not an ice report. It says nothing about whether ice will hold you.
In the model Little Shuswap Lake froze in 65 of the 65 winters since 1960. Freeze-up falls most years between 20 November and 14 December, and ice-off between 27 February and 24 March. The median winter freezes on 1 December and opens on 15 March.
the middle half of modelled winters the median ice cover in the median winter
Winter 2024-25 in the model: frozen from 12 January 2025 to 4 March 2025, 51 days.
No ice fishing closure is recorded for Little Shuswap 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.
Little Shuswap Lake climate, 1960 to 2025
Averaged over a year, the air above Little Shuswap 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
- 9.1 Caverage year now
- 8.2 Caverage year then
- -12 daysbelow freezing, change
each yearthe trend across 1960 to 2025
each yearthe trend across 1960 to 2025
This week at Little Shuswap 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 | 15° / 3° | 10 km/h | dry | Steady |
| Wed 21 Oct | Overcast | 20° / 6° | 11 km/h, gusts 17 | dry | Falling (-6.8 hPa) |
| Thu 22 Oct | Overcast | 18° / 5° | 8 km/h | dry | Falling (-1.9 hPa) |
| Fri 23 Oct | Overcast | 13° / 3° | 9 km/h, gusts 23 | dry | Rising (+12.0 hPa) |
| Sat 24 Oct | Overcast | 10° / 0° | 8 km/h | dry | Rising (+7.4 hPa) |
| Sun 25 Oct | Overcast | 11° / 0° | 8 km/h | dry | Rising (+2.6 hPa) |
| Mon 26 Oct | Overcast | 11° / -1° | 5 km/h | dry | Falling (-1.3 hPa) |
Little Shuswap Lake, in brief
What fish are in Little Shuswap Lake?
Rainbow Trout (last recorded 1989), Lake Trout, Bull Trout, Kokanee, Burbot (last recorded 1989), Mountain Whitefish (last recorded 1989), Lake Whitefish (last recorded 1975), Chinook Salmon, Salmon (General), Coho Salmon (last recorded 1980). Species from the province's fish observation records.
Which management unit is Little Shuswap Lake in?
Little Shuswap Lake is in MU 3-27, in the Thompson-Nicola. The BC Freshwater Fishing Regulations Synopsis is organised by management unit; check it before you go.
Trout lakes near Little Shuswap Lake
- Aylmer (Star) Lake 6 km away
- Skmana Lake 7 km away
- Phillips Lake 10 km away
- Niskonlith Lake 13 km away
- Morrisey Lake 13 km away
All 342 lakes in the Thompson-Nicola, with today's conditions on each.