Nicola Lake
MU 3-19, Thompson-Nicola
50.1657° N, 120.5317° W
- Surface area
- 2400ha
- Maximum depth
- 57m
- 187 ft
- Elevation
- 625m
Located near Merritt in the sunny Nicola Valley, Nicola Lake is a 22-kilometer-long interior waterway. Its high insect productivity and rich forage base produce hard-fighting rainbow trout and kokanee with excellent year-round access.
Open Nicola Lake in the appThe 7-day forecast, max depth and wildfire smoke check, on the lake's own coordinate.
Trophy fish at Nicola Lake
Nicola Lake is known for trophy Lake trout to 15 lb.
- Rainbow trout to 10 lb
- Lake trout to 15 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.
Nicola Lake at a glance
- Region
- Thompson-Nicola
- Management unit
- MU 3-19
- Species
- Rainbow Trout, Lake Trout, Mountain Whitefish, Kokanee (last recorded 1983), Burbot (last recorded 1995), Dolly Varden (last recorded 1995), Cutthroat Trout (last recorded 1983), Bull Trout (last recorded 1978), Chinook Salmon (last recorded 1995), Sockeye Salmon (last recorded 1994), Steelhead (last recorded 1982), Coho Salmon (last recorded 1978), Pink Salmon (last recorded 1978), Prickly Sculpin, Largescale Sucker, Northern Pikeminnow, Redside Shiner, Longnose Sucker, Peamouth Chub, Sculpin (General), Carp (last recorded 1983), Sucker (General) (last recorded 1983), Dace (General) (last recorded 1978), Lake Chub (last recorded 1958)The province's newest fish record here is from 2018.Species from the province's fish observation records and angling reports.
- Lake size
- Large Water (> 500 ha)
- Ice fishing
- Open to ice fishing, confirmed
- Coordinates
- 50.165737, -120.531727
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Gear for lake trout
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Fish on record at Nicola Lake
| Species | First recorded | Last recorded | Records |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rainbow Trout | 1940 | 2014 | 14 |
| Mountain Whitefish | 1978 | 2014 | 3 |
| Kokanee | 1958 | 1983 | 6 |
| Burbot | 1980 | 1995 | 2 |
| Dolly Varden | 1995 | 1995 | 1 |
| Cutthroat Trout | 1983 | 1983 | 1 |
| Bull Trout | 1978 | 1978 | 1 |
| Chinook Salmon | 1982 | 1995 | 2 |
| Sockeye Salmon | 1994 | 1994 | 1 |
| Steelhead | 1978 | 1982 | 2 |
| Coho Salmon | 1978 | 1978 | 1 |
| Pink Salmon | 1978 | 1978 | 1 |
| Prickly Sculpin | 2018 | 2018 | 1 |
| Largescale Sucker | 2014 | 2014 | 16 |
| Northern Pikeminnow | 2014 | 2014 | 8 |
| Redside Shiner | 1978 | 2014 | 5 |
| Longnose Sucker | 1978 | 2014 | 4 |
| Peamouth Chub | 1959 | 2014 | 3 |
| Sculpin (General) | 1978 | 2014 | 2 |
| Carp | 1983 | 1983 | 1 |
| Sucker (General) | 1983 | 1983 | 1 |
| Dace (General) | 1978 | 1978 | 1 |
| Lake Chub | 1958 | 1958 | 1 |
A year is when the Province last recorded the fish here, not a statement that it is caught today.
How to fish Nicola Lake
Troll Gibbs Croc spoons (brass/firestripe), Apex 3.0/4.0 lures, and Lyman plugs 15-35 ft deep along windward shoals and points. Fly fish chironomids and leeches in protected bays.
Best times of year at Nicola Lake
- Spring (April-June)
- Fall (Sept-Nov)
- Winter Ice Fishing
Nicola Lake fishing regulations
Burbot catch and release. Source: Province of British Columbia
Getting to Nicola Lake
Paved highway access right along Hwy 5A northeast of Merritt.
Coordinates: 50.165737, -120.531727
Camping and rec sites at Nicola Lake
- Monck Provincial Park
120 vehicle-accessible campsites, double-wide concrete boat ramp, docks, sandy beach, playground & sani-station
Facilities: Concrete Boat Launch, Docks, Campground, Sandy Beach, Flush Toilets, Showers, Sani-Station, Playground
Access: Paved Monck Park Rd off Hwy 5A (2WD)
Depth chart for Nicola Lake
57 mdeepest
Nicola Lake runs to 57 m (187 ft) at its deepest.
The Province sounded Nicola Lake and published the depth chart surveyed in 1959.
The ice year at Nicola Lake, modelled
Modelled from air temperature, not an ice report. It says nothing about whether ice will hold you.
In the model Nicola Lake froze in 65 of the 65 winters since 1960. Freeze-up falls most years between 18 November and 18 December, and ice-off between 5 March and 29 March. The median winter freezes on 30 November 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 31 December 2024 to 7 March 2025, 66 days.
Nicola 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.
Nicola Lake climate, 1960 to 2025
Averaged over a year, the air above Nicola Lake is 1.3 C warmer than it was in the 1960s. That is 66 years of daily readings, not a forecast.
- +1.3 Csince the 1960s
- 5.2 Caverage year now
- 4.0 Caverage year then
- -16 daysbelow freezing, change
each yearthe trend across 1960 to 2025
each yearthe trend across 1960 to 2025
This week at Nicola 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 | 13° / -2° | 9 km/h | dry | Steady |
| Wed 21 Oct | Overcast | 21° / 5° | 14 km/h, gusts 25 | dry | Falling (-7.1 hPa) |
| Thu 22 Oct | Overcast | 14° / 6° | 9 km/h | dry | Falling (-1.3 hPa) |
| Fri 23 Oct | Overcast | 11° / 1° | 17 km/h, gusts 27 | dry | Rising (+12.6 hPa) |
| Sat 24 Oct | Overcast | 11° / -2° | 10 km/h | dry | Rising (+6.4 hPa) |
| Sun 25 Oct | Overcast | 9° / -3° | 7 km/h | dry | Rising (+2.5 hPa) |
| Mon 26 Oct | Partly cloudy | 10° / -3° | 8 km/h | dry | Falling (-1.5 hPa) |
Nicola Lake, in brief
What fish are in Nicola Lake?
Rainbow Trout, Lake Trout, Mountain Whitefish, Kokanee (last recorded 1983), Burbot (last recorded 1995), Dolly Varden (last recorded 1995), Cutthroat Trout (last recorded 1983), Bull Trout (last recorded 1978), Chinook Salmon (last recorded 1995), Sockeye Salmon (last recorded 1994), Steelhead (last recorded 1982), Coho Salmon (last recorded 1978), Pink Salmon (last recorded 1978). Species from the province's fish observation records and angling reports.
Which management unit is Nicola Lake in?
Nicola Lake is in MU 3-19, in the Thompson-Nicola. The BC Freshwater Fishing Regulations Synopsis is organised by management unit; check it before you go.
Trout lakes near Nicola Lake
- Hamilton Lake 10 km away
- Lundbom Lake 11 km away
- Marquart Lake 13 km away
- Mab Lake 13 km away
- Corbett Lake 17 km away
All 342 lakes in the Thompson-Nicola, with today's conditions on each.