Mcneil Lake
MU 5-1, Cariboo
51.7622° N, 120.7906° W
- Surface area
- 86.3ha
- Maximum depth
- 20.7m
- 68 ft
- Elevation
- 1,078m
Open Mcneil Lake in the appThe 7-day forecast, max depth and wildfire smoke check, on the lake's own coordinate.
Trophy fish at Mcneil Lake
Mcneil Lake is known for trophy Rainbow trout to 3 lb.
- Rainbow trout to 3 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.
Mcneil Lake at a glance
- Region
- Cariboo
- Management unit
- MU 5-1
- Species
- Rainbow Trout, Kokanee, Northern Pikeminnow (last recorded 1970), Sucker (General) (last recorded 1970)
- Lake size
- Medium Lake (50 - 500 ha)
- Ice fishing
- Open to ice fishing, confirmed
- Coordinates
- 51.7622, -120.7906
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Gear for rainbow trout
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Fish on record at Mcneil Lake
| Species | First recorded | Last recorded | Records |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rainbow Trout | 1970 | 2017 | 19 |
| Northern Pikeminnow | 1970 | 1970 | 1 |
| Sucker (General) | 1970 | 1970 | 1 |
A year is when the Province last recorded the fish here, not a statement that it is caught today.
How to fish Mcneil Lake
Best times of year at Mcneil Lake
- May - June
- September - October
Mcneil Lake fishing regulations
We have no lake specific regulations on file for Mcneil Lake yet.
Getting to Mcneil Lake
Coordinates: 51.7622, -120.7906
Camping and rec sites at Mcneil Lake
- Mcneil Lake
No campsite count on file (BC Recreation Sites and Trails)
Depth chart for Mcneil Lake
20.7 mdeepest
Mcneil Lake runs to 20.7 m (68 ft) at its deepest.
The Province sounded Mcneil Lake and published the depth chart surveyed in 1971.
The ice year at Mcneil Lake, modelled
Modelled from air temperature, not an ice report. It says nothing about whether ice will hold you.
In the model Mcneil Lake froze in 65 of the 65 winters since 1960. Freeze-up falls most years between 4 November and 16 November, and ice-off between 29 April and 16 May. The median winter freezes on 8 November and opens on 8 May.
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 7 April 2025, 143 days.
Mcneil 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.
Mcneil Lake climate, 1960 to 2025
Averaged over a year, the air above Mcneil Lake is 1.1 C warmer than it was in the 1960s. That is 66 years of daily readings, not a forecast.
- +1.1 Csince the 1960s
- 2.3 Caverage year now
- 1.2 Caverage year then
- -11 daysbelow freezing, change
each yearthe trend across 1960 to 2025
each yearthe trend across 1960 to 2025
This week at Mcneil 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 | 11° / 0° | 6 km/h, gusts 16 | dry | Steady |
| Wed 21 Oct | Overcast | 14° / 2° | 9 km/h, gusts 21 | dry | Falling (-9.7 hPa) |
| Thu 22 Oct | Overcast | 8° / -1° | 16 km/h, gusts 38 | dry | Rising (+2.0 hPa) |
| Fri 23 Oct | Overcast | 6° / -2° | 6 km/h, gusts 15 | dry | Rising (+13.7 hPa) |
| Sat 24 Oct | Overcast | 6° / 0° | 4 km/h, gusts 10 | dry | Falling (-1.9 hPa) |
| Sun 25 Oct | Partly cloudy | 6° / -2° | 5 km/h, gusts 17 | dry | Rising (+5.9 hPa) |
| Mon 26 Oct | Overcast | 8° / -2° | 4 km/h, gusts 15 | dry | Falling (-2.5 hPa) |
Trout lakes near Mcneil Lake
- Howard Lake 6 km away
- Drewry Lake 7 km away
- Donnely Lake 8 km away
- Dragonfly Lake 9 km away
- Greenlee Lake 11 km away
All 328 lakes in the Cariboo, with today's conditions on each.