Paul Lake
MU 3-27, Thompson-Nicola
50.7400° N, 120.1169° W
- Surface area
- 268.1ha
- Maximum depth
- 55.2m
- 181 ft
- Elevation
- 775m
Deep, scenic fjord-like lake beneath Gibraltar Rock with high catch rates of feisty Pennask trout.
Open Paul Lake in the appThe 7-day forecast, max depth and wildfire smoke check, on the lake's own coordinate.
Trophy fish at Paul Lake
Paul Lake is known for trophy Rainbow trout to 8 lb.
- Rainbow 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.
Paul Lake at a glance
- Region
- Thompson-Nicola
- Management unit
- MU 3-27
- Species
- Rainbow Trout, Kokanee, Brook Trout (last recorded 1916), Lake Trout (last recorded 1909), Atlantic Salmon (last recorded 1917), Redside Shiner (last recorded 1994), Tench (last recorded 1950)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
- 50.74, -120.1169
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Gear for rainbow trout
Lines, leaders, lures and flies for rainbow trout, searched on Amazon.ca.
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What people catch at Paul Lake
A provincial park lake northeast of Kamloops where rainbows average 3.5 lb and fish of 7 lb are not all that uncommon, says BC Adventure. Trolling is the most popular method, with good spring mayfly and damselfly hatches.
- Rainbow Trout
Typically about 3.5 lb on average
Bigger fish: 7 lb is not all that uncommon
Source: BC Adventure Network
Trolling is the most popular method; fly anglers get a good spring mayfly and damselfly hatch. Source: BC Adventure Network
Fish on record at Paul Lake
| Species | First recorded | Last recorded | Records |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rainbow Trout | 1923 | 2017 | 170 |
| Kokanee | 2013 | 2026 | 23 |
| Brook Trout | 1916 | 1916 | 1 |
| Lake Trout | 1909 | 1909 | 1 |
| Atlantic Salmon | 1917 | 1917 | 1 |
| Redside Shiner | 1949 | 1994 | 9 |
| Tench | 1950 | 1950 | 1 |
A year is when the Province last recorded the fish here, not a statement that it is caught today.
How to fish Paul Lake
Trolling flatfish, small spoons, or fly casting chironomids and mayflies in the western shallows.
Best times of year at Paul Lake
- May - June
- September - November
Paul Lake fishing regulations
We have no lake specific regulations on file for Paul Lake yet.
Getting to Paul Lake
Paul Lake Provincial Park, 20 mins northeast of Kamloops. Paved boat launch, docks, large beach.
1.7 km of traced road to the shore by way of Paul Lake Provincial Park. The road at the end is a rough surface. It stops 510 m short of the shore.
Coordinates: 50.74, -120.1169
Camping and rec sites at Paul Lake
- Paul Lake Provincial Park (Pine & Kingfisher)
170 vehicle-accessible campsites, concrete boat launch, dock, sandy swimming beach & sani-station
Facilities: Concrete Boat Launch, Dock, Vehicle Campsites, Sandy Beach, Flush Toilets, Showers, Sani-Station, Playground
Access: Paved Paul Lake Rd from Kamloops (2WD)
Depth chart for Paul Lake
55.2 mdeepest28.9 mmean
Paul Lake runs to 55.2 m (181 ft) at its deepest.
The mean of 28.9 m (95 ft) is read off the same chart, surveyed in March 1980.
The Province sounded Paul Lake and published the depth chart surveyed in 1980. It runs to 3 sheets.
The ice year at Paul Lake, modelled
Modelled from air temperature, not an ice report. It says nothing about whether ice will hold you.
In the model Paul Lake froze in 65 of the 65 winters since 1960. Freeze-up falls most years between 9 November and 25 November, and ice-off between 6 April and 24 April. The median winter freezes on 18 November and opens on 14 April.
the middle half of modelled winters the median ice cover in the median winter
Winter 2024-25 in the model: frozen from 18 November 2024 to 6 April 2025, 139 days.
No ice fishing closure is recorded for Paul 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.
Paul Lake climate, 1960 to 2025
Averaged over a year, the air above Paul 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
- 3.9 Caverage year now
- 2.8 Caverage year then
- -8 daysbelow freezing, change
each yearthe trend across 1960 to 2025
each yearthe trend across 1960 to 2025
This week at Paul 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 | 14° / 0° | 10 km/h | dry | Steady |
| Wed 21 Oct | Overcast | 18° / 5° | 11 km/h, gusts 22 | dry | Falling (-7.5 hPa) |
| Thu 22 Oct | Overcast | 12° / 4° | 7 km/h | dry | Falling (-1.1 hPa) |
| Fri 23 Oct | Overcast | 9° / 0° | 16 km/h, gusts 28 | dry | Rising (+12.1 hPa) |
| Sat 24 Oct | Overcast | 9° / -2° | 7 km/h, gusts 13 | dry | Rising (+7.2 hPa) |
| Sun 25 Oct | Mainly clear | 7° / -4° | 6 km/h | dry | Rising (+2.6 hPa) |
| Mon 26 Oct | Overcast | 8° / -4° | 7 km/h | dry | Falling (-1.5 hPa) |
Paul Lake, in brief
What fish are in Paul Lake?
Rainbow Trout, Kokanee, Brook Trout (last recorded 1916), Lake Trout (last recorded 1909), Atlantic Salmon (last recorded 1917). Species from the province's fish observation records.
Which management unit is Paul Lake in?
Paul Lake is in MU 3-27, in the Thompson-Nicola. The BC Freshwater Fishing Regulations Synopsis is organised by management unit; check it before you go.
Trout lakes near Paul Lake
- Pinantan Lake 7 km away
- Andy Lake 8 km away
- Warren Lake 10 km away
- Heffley Lake 11 km away
- Heffley Lake (Parts Of) 11 km away
All 342 lakes in the Thompson-Nicola, with today's conditions on each.