McKinley Lake
MU 5-15, Cariboo
52.2663° N, 120.9349° W
- Surface area
- 519.7ha
- Maximum depth
- 65m
- 213 ft. Province survey, 1972
- Elevation
- 864m
- Campsites
- 5
- At McKinley Lake rec site
McKinley Lake is a large lake of 519.7 ha in the Cariboo. The McKinley Lake recreation site is on its shore. Depth, elevation, stocking and regulations are not on file for this lake yet.
Open McKinley Lake in the appThe 7-day forecast, max depth and wildfire smoke check, on the lake's own coordinate.
Trophy fish at McKinley Lake
McKinley Lake is known for trophy Rainbow trout to 8 lb.
- Rainbow trout to 8 lb
- Lake 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.
McKinley Lake at a glance
- Region
- Cariboo
- Management unit
- MU 5-15
- Species
- Rainbow Trout (last recorded 1995), Lake Trout (last recorded 1970), Burbot (last recorded 1970), Kokanee (last recorded 1970), Whitefish (General) (last recorded 1970), Bridgelip Sucker (last recorded 1970), Northern Pikeminnow (last recorded 1970), Peamouth Chub (last recorded 1970), White Sucker (last recorded 1970)The newest of these fish records is from 1995.Species from the province's fish observation records.
- Lake size
- Large Water (> 500 ha)
- Coordinates
- 52.266272, -120.9349
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Gear for rainbow trout
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Fish on record at McKinley Lake
| Species | First recorded | Last recorded | Records |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rainbow Trout | 1995 | 1995 | 1 |
| Lake Trout | 1970 | 1970 | 1 |
| Burbot | 1970 | 1970 | 1 |
| Kokanee | 1970 | 1970 | 1 |
| Whitefish (General) | 1970 | 1970 | 1 |
| Bridgelip Sucker | 1970 | 1970 | 1 |
| Northern Pikeminnow | 1970 | 1970 | 1 |
| Peamouth Chub | 1970 | 1970 | 1 |
| White Sucker | 1970 | 1970 | 1 |
A year is when the Province last recorded the fish here, not a statement that it is caught today.
McKinley Lake fishing regulations
We have no lake specific regulations on file for McKinley Lake yet.
Getting to McKinley Lake
34.2 km of traced road to the campground by way of McKinley FSR, McKinley Trail and Black Creek Rd. The road at the end is a loose surface.
Coordinates: 52.266272, -120.9349
Camping and rec sites at McKinley Lake
- McKinley Lake
- Campsites
- 5 designated
- To the shore
- 11 m
Coordinates: 52.278948, -120.990604
Depth chart for McKinley Lake
65 mdeepest24 mmean
McKinley Lake runs to 65 m (213 ft) at its deepest, by the Province survey, 1972.
The mean of 24 m (79 ft) is read off the same chart, surveyed in January 1972.
The Province sounded McKinley Lake and published the depth chart surveyed in 1972. It runs to 2 sheets.
The ice year at McKinley Lake, modelled
Modelled from air temperature, not an ice report. It says nothing about whether ice will hold you.
In the model McKinley Lake froze in 65 of the 65 winters since 1960. Freeze-up falls most years between 7 November and 19 November, and ice-off between 21 April and 9 May. The median winter freezes on 13 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 15 November 2024 to 10 April 2025, 146 days.
We have no ice fishing regulation on file for McKinley Lake either way. Check the current BC Freshwater Fishing Regulations Synopsis before you plan a trip.
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.
McKinley Lake climate, 1960 to 2025
Averaged over a year, the air above McKinley Lake is 0.9 C warmer than it was in the 1960s. That is 66 years of daily readings, not a forecast.
- +0.9 Csince the 1960s
- 3.8 Caverage year now
- 2.9 Caverage year then
- -8 daysbelow freezing, change
each yearthe trend across 1960 to 2025
each yearthe trend across 1960 to 2025
This week at McKinley 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun 25 Oct | Slight rain | 6° / 2° | 6 km/h, gusts 34 | dry | Steady |
| Mon 26 Oct | Overcast | 9° / 1° | 5 km/h, gusts 15 | dry | Falling (-4.1 hPa) |
| Tue 27 Oct | Moderate snow | 3° / 0° | 5 km/h, gusts 11 | 6 mm | Falling (-5.4 hPa) |
| Wed 28 Oct | Moderate snow | 1° / -1° | 6 km/h, gusts 17 | 4 mm | Rising (+5.2 hPa) |
| Thu 29 Oct | Slight snow | 2° / -5° | 4 km/h, gusts 10 | 0 mm | Rising (+5.8 hPa) |
| Fri 30 Oct | Partly cloudy | 2° / -6° | 3 km/h | dry | Falling (-3.2 hPa) |
| Sat 31 Oct | Partly cloudy | 6° / -5° | 2 km/h, gusts 21 | dry | Falling (-2.1 hPa) |
McKinley Lake, in brief
What fish are in McKinley Lake?
Rainbow Trout (last recorded 1995), Lake Trout (last recorded 1970), Burbot (last recorded 1970), Kokanee (last recorded 1970), Whitefish (General) (last recorded 1970). Species from the province's fish observation records.
How big is McKinley Lake?
McKinley Lake covers about 519.7 ha, by the province's Freshwater Atlas.
Which management unit is McKinley Lake in?
McKinley Lake is in MU 5-15, in the Cariboo. The BC Freshwater Fishing Regulations Synopsis is organised by management unit; check it before you go.
Trout lakes near McKinley Lake
- Tisdall Lake 6 km away
- Elbow Lake 8 km away
- Boscar Lake 12 km away
- Cruiser Lake 14 km away
- Bosk Lake 14 km away
All 328 lakes in the Cariboo, with today's conditions on each.