Mckay Lake
MU 1-6, Vancouver Island
49.7631° N, 125.2917° W
- Surface area
- 6.1ha
- Elevation
- 1,115m
McKay Lake is located 16 km (10 mi) north of Ladysmith via the Island Highway to Spurston Road, at the end of which the lake is found.
Open Mckay Lake in the appThe 7-day forecast, max depth and wildfire smoke check, on the lake's own coordinate.
Mckay Lake at a glance
- Region
- Vancouver Island
- Management unit
- MU 1-6
- Species
- Cutthroat Trout, Smallmouth BassSpecies from angling reports and our own records.
- Lake size
- Small Water (< 50 ha)
- Ice fishing
- No ice fishing closure on file
- Coordinates
- 49.7631, -125.2917
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Gear for cutthroat trout
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How to fish Mckay Lake
The lake is stocked with cutthroat. The best fishing is reported during March-May and October-November.
Best times of year at Mckay Lake
- May - June
- September - October
Mckay Lake fishing regulations
We have no lake specific regulations on file for Mckay Lake yet.
Getting to Mckay Lake
5.3 km of traced road to the shore. The road at the end is a rough surface. It stops 170 m short of the shore.
Coordinates: 49.7631, -125.2917
The ice year at Mckay Lake, modelled
Modelled from air temperature, not an ice report. It says nothing about whether ice will hold you.
In the model Mckay Lake froze in 65 of the 65 winters since 1960. Freeze-up falls most years between 7 November and 23 November, and ice-off between 19 May and 10 June. The median winter freezes on 17 November and opens on 28 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 28 May 2025, 211 days.
No ice fishing closure is recorded for Mckay 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.
Mckay Lake climate, 1960 to 2025
Averaged over a year, the air above Mckay Lake is 0.7 C warmer than it was in the 1960s. That is 66 years of daily readings, not a forecast.
- +0.7 Csince the 1960s
- 4.9 Caverage year now
- 4.2 Caverage year then
- -5 daysbelow freezing, change
each yearthe trend across 1960 to 2025
each yearthe trend across 1960 to 2025
This week at Mckay 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 | Mainly clear | 9° / 0° | 13 km/h | dry | Steady |
| Wed 21 Oct | Overcast | 10° / 2° | 12 km/h | dry | Falling (-5.5 hPa) |
| Thu 22 Oct | Light drizzle | 7° / 0° | 12 km/h, gusts 20 | 0 mm | Rising (+1.4 hPa) |
| Fri 23 Oct | Overcast | 8° / -2° | 8 km/h, gusts 15 | dry | Rising (+9.9 hPa) |
| Sat 24 Oct | Overcast | 6° / -1° | 7 km/h | dry | Rising (+2.5 hPa) |
| Sun 25 Oct | Overcast | 10° / 2° | 6 km/h | dry | Falling (-1.6 hPa) |
| Mon 26 Oct | Overcast | 11° / 4° | 6 km/h | dry | Steady |
Mckay Lake, in brief
What fish are in Mckay Lake?
Cutthroat Trout, Smallmouth Bass. Species from angling reports and our own records.
Which management unit is Mckay Lake in?
Mckay Lake is in MU 1-6, on Vancouver Island. The BC Freshwater Fishing Regulations Synopsis is organised by management unit; check it before you go.
Trout lakes near Mckay Lake
- Regan Lake 6 km away
- Anderson Lake 8 km away
- Little Lost Lake 8 km away
- Wolf Lake 9 km away
- Panther Lake 9 km away
All 193 lakes on Vancouver Island, with today's conditions on each.