Rail Lake
MU 5-2, Cariboo
51.9456° N, 121.4731° W
- Surface area
- 229.9ha
- Maximum depth
- 20.7m
- 68 ft
- Elevation
- 1,097m
- Campsites
- 2
- At Rail Lake rec site
From 100 Mile House , travel north on Highway 97 to Lac La Hache . Turn east on the Timothy Lake Road, after about 6 1/2 km (4 mi.) branch to the left for about 13 km (8 mi.) on a good all weather gravel road.
Open Rail Lake in the appThe 7-day forecast, max depth and wildfire smoke check, on the lake's own coordinate.
Trophy fish at Rail Lake
Rail 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.
Rail Lake at a glance
- Region
- Cariboo
- Management unit
- MU 5-2
- Species
- Rainbow Trout, Burbot (last recorded 1970), Chub (General) (last recorded 1970), Northern Pikeminnow (last recorded 1970)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
- 51.9456, -121.4731
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Gear for rainbow trout
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Fish on record at Rail Lake
| Species | First recorded | Last recorded | Records |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rainbow Trout | 1938 | 2026 | 95 |
| Burbot | 1970 | 1970 | 1 |
| Chub (General) | 1970 | 1970 | 1 |
| Northern Pikeminnow | 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 Rail Lake
Best times of year at Rail Lake
- May - June
- September - October
Rail Lake fishing regulations
We have no lake specific regulations on file for Rail Lake yet.
Getting to Rail Lake
A small Forest Service Campsite is accessible for small trailers and has a launching ramp.
25.8 km of traced road to the campground by way of Spout Lake Rd, Maiz-Rail FSR, Maze Forbes FSR, Kokanee Pit Rd and Begg Rd. The road at the end is a loose surface.
Coordinates: 51.9456, -121.4731
Camping and rec sites at Rail Lake
- Rail Lake
- Campsites
- 2 designated
- To the shore
- 19 m
Access: From Hwy 97 in Lac La Hache, turn northeast onto the Timothy Lake Road. Travel 7 km and keep left/straight onto Sprout Lake Road (1500 Road). Travel another 14 km to the Rail Lake Recreation Site, which is situated on the left-hand side of the road at the 15-51 km marker.
Coordinates: 51.953179, -121.461936
Depth chart for Rail Lake
20.7 mdeepest
Rail Lake runs to 20.7 m (68 ft) at its deepest.
The Province sounded Rail Lake and published the depth chart surveyed in 1971.
The ice year at Rail Lake, modelled
Modelled from air temperature, not an ice report. It says nothing about whether ice will hold you.
In the model Rail Lake froze in 65 of the 65 winters since 1960. Freeze-up falls most years between 31 October and 11 November, and ice-off between 23 April and 12 May. The median winter freezes on 7 November and opens on 3 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 18 April 2025, 154 days.
No ice fishing closure is recorded for Rail 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.
Rail Lake climate, 1960 to 2025
Averaged over a year, the air above Rail Lake is 1.0 C warmer than it was in the 1960s. That is 66 years of daily readings, not a forecast.
- +1.0 Csince the 1960s
- 4.0 Caverage year now
- 3.1 Caverage year then
- -9 daysbelow freezing, change
each yearthe trend across 1960 to 2025
each yearthe trend across 1960 to 2025
This week at Rail 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 | Overcast | 10° / -2° | 18 km/h, gusts 34 | dry | Steady |
| Wed 21 Oct | Overcast | 13° / 3° | 18 km/h, gusts 36 | dry | Falling (-9.8 hPa) |
| Thu 22 Oct | Overcast | 7° / -1° | 16 km/h, gusts 35 | dry | Rising (+3.5 hPa) |
| Fri 23 Oct | Overcast | 5° / -3° | 10 km/h, gusts 18 | dry | Rising (+13.0 hPa) |
| Sat 24 Oct | Overcast | 4° / 0° | 8 km/h, gusts 14 | dry | Falling (-1.8 hPa) |
| Sun 25 Oct | Partly cloudy | 6° / -3° | 7 km/h, gusts 20 | dry | Rising (+5.6 hPa) |
| Mon 26 Oct | Overcast | 7° / -1° | 11 km/h, gusts 24 | dry | Falling (-2.9 hPa) |
Rail Lake, in brief
What fish are in Rail Lake?
Rainbow Trout, Burbot (last recorded 1970). Species from the province's fish observation records.
Which management unit is Rail Lake in?
Rail Lake is in MU 5-2, in the Cariboo. The BC Freshwater Fishing Regulations Synopsis is organised by management unit; check it before you go.
Trout lakes near Rail Lake
- Peach Lake 11 km away
- Fly Lake 12 km away
- Squawk Lake 14 km away
- Greeny Lake 14 km away
- Two Mile Lake 14 km away
All 328 lakes in the Cariboo, with today's conditions on each.