Monte Lake
MU 3-20, Thompson-Nicola
50.5056° N, 119.8381° W
- Surface area
- 165.1ha
- Maximum depth
- 36.3m
- 119 ft
- Elevation
- 660m
Popular, deeply productive highway lake known for big spring rainbows and excellent winter ice fishing.
Open Monte Lake in the appThe 7-day forecast, max depth and wildfire smoke check, on the lake's own coordinate.
Trophy fish at Monte Lake
Monte 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.
Monte Lake at a glance
- Region
- Thompson-Nicola
- Management unit
- MU 3-20
- Species
- Rainbow Trout, Kokanee, Steelhead (last recorded 1953), Redside Shiner, Prickly Sculpin, Sucker (General), Largescale Sucker (last recorded 1978), Northern Pikeminnow (last recorded 1953)The newest of these fish records is from 2026.Species from the province's fish observation records.
- Lake size
- Medium Lake (50 - 500 ha)
- Ice fishing
- No ice fishing closure on file
- Coordinates
- 50.5056, -119.8381
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Gear for rainbow trout
Lines, leaders, lures and flies for rainbow trout, searched on Amazon.ca.
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Fish on record at Monte Lake
| Species | First recorded | Last recorded | Records |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rainbow Trout | 1931 | 2025 | 123 |
| Kokanee | 2007 | 2026 | 28 |
| Steelhead | 1953 | 1953 | 2 |
| Redside Shiner | 1953 | 2014 | 10 |
| Prickly Sculpin | 1953 | 2014 | 9 |
| Sucker (General) | 1953 | 2014 | 8 |
| Largescale Sucker | 1953 | 1978 | 3 |
| Northern Pikeminnow | 1953 | 1953 | 1 |
A year is when the Province last recorded the fish here, not a statement that it is caught today.
How to fish Monte Lake
Trolling spoons (Apex, Dick Nite, Wedding Band), spinning gear, winter jigging through the ice.
Best times of year at Monte Lake
- April - June
- September - November
- Winter Ice Fishing
Monte Lake fishing regulations
We have no lake specific regulations on file for Monte Lake yet.
Getting to Monte Lake
Directly alongside Hwy 97 between Kamloops and Vernon. Paved access, public boat launch, park.
1.4 km of traced road to the shore. The road at the end is a paved surface. It stops 240 m short of the shore.
Coordinates: 50.5056, -119.8381
Camping and rec sites at Monte Lake
- Monte Lake Provincial Park (Day Use)
Day-use provincial park with gravel boat ramp, picnic tables, and lakeshore angling access (No overnight camping)
Facilities: Gravel Boat Launch, Picnic Tables, Pit Toilets, Lakeside Parking
Access: Paved Hwy 97 between Kamloops and Vernon (2WD)
Depth chart for Monte Lake
36.3 mdeepest21.6 mmean
Monte Lake runs to 36.3 m (119 ft) at its deepest.
The mean of 21.6 m (71 ft) is read off the same chart, surveyed in October 1981.
The Province sounded Monte Lake and published the depth chart surveyed in 1981.
The ice year at Monte Lake, modelled
Modelled from air temperature, not an ice report. It says nothing about whether ice will hold you.
In the model Monte Lake froze in 65 of the 65 winters since 1960. Freeze-up falls most years between 15 November and 29 November, and ice-off between 20 March and 10 April. The median winter freezes on 23 November and opens on 1 April.
the middle half of modelled winters the median ice cover in the median winter
Winter 2024-25 in the model: frozen from 17 January 2025 to 8 March 2025, 50 days.
No ice fishing closure is recorded for Monte 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.
Monte Lake climate, 1960 to 2025
Averaged over a year, the air above Monte 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
- 4.7 Caverage year now
- 3.5 Caverage year then
- -11 daysbelow freezing, change
each yearthe trend across 1960 to 2025
each yearthe trend across 1960 to 2025
This week at Monte 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 | 12° / -1° | 12 km/h | dry | Steady |
| Wed 21 Oct | Overcast | 19° / 6° | 13 km/h, gusts 22 | dry | Falling (-7.0 hPa) |
| Thu 22 Oct | Overcast | 14° / 6° | 12 km/h | dry | Falling (-2.2 hPa) |
| Fri 23 Oct | Overcast | 10° / 1° | 17 km/h, gusts 26 | dry | Rising (+12.3 hPa) |
| Sat 24 Oct | Overcast | 9° / -1° | 7 km/h | dry | Rising (+5.3 hPa) |
| Sun 25 Oct | Overcast | 8° / -3° | 6 km/h | dry | Rising (+3.5 hPa) |
| Mon 26 Oct | Overcast | 11° / -2° | 7 km/h | dry | Falling (-1.3 hPa) |
Monte Lake, in brief
What fish are in Monte Lake?
Rainbow Trout, Kokanee, Steelhead (last recorded 1953). Species from the province's fish observation records.
Which management unit is Monte Lake in?
Monte Lake is in MU 3-20, in the Thompson-Nicola. The BC Freshwater Fishing Regulations Synopsis is organised by management unit; check it before you go.
Trout lakes near Monte Lake
- Woods Lake 14 km away
- McGlashan Lake 16 km away
- Pratt Lake 17 km away
- Pillar Lake 17 km away
- Joyce Lake 17 km away
All 342 lakes in the Thompson-Nicola, with today's conditions on each.