Rainbow Lake
MU 5-13, Cariboo
52.9975° N, 123.6075° W
- Surface area
- 142ha
- Maximum depth
- 6m
- 20 ft. Province survey, 1976
- Elevation
- 850m
At Anahim Lake , 322 km (199 mi) west of Williams Lake on Highway 97, go north towards the Dean River. Past Lessard Lake the road deteriorates before you reach Rainbow Lake to the east of the road. After about 45 km (27.9 mi) from Anahim Lake you will have to turn to the east to reach the lake.
Open Rainbow Lake in the appThe 7-day forecast, max depth and wildfire smoke check, on the lake's own coordinate.
Rainbow Lake at a glance
- Region
- Cariboo
- Management unit
- MU 5-13
- Species
- Kokanee (last recorded 1978), Mountain Whitefish (last recorded 1978), Rainbow Trout (last recorded 1978), Longnose Sucker (last recorded 1978), Northern Pikeminnow (last recorded 1978), Peamouth Chub (last recorded 1978), Redside Shiner (last recorded 1978)The newest of these fish records is from 1978.Species from the province's fish observation records.
- Lake size
- Medium Lake (50 - 500 ha)
- Ice fishing
- No ice fishing closure on file
- Coordinates
- 52.9975, -123.6075
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Fish on record at Rainbow Lake
| Species | First recorded | Last recorded | Records |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kokanee | 1978 | 1978 | 1 |
| Mountain Whitefish | 1978 | 1978 | 1 |
| Rainbow Trout | 1978 | 1978 | 1 |
| Longnose Sucker | 1978 | 1978 | 1 |
| Northern Pikeminnow | 1978 | 1978 | 1 |
| Peamouth Chub | 1978 | 1978 | 1 |
| Redside Shiner | 1978 | 1978 | 1 |
A year is when the Province last recorded the fish here, not a statement that it is caught today.
How to fish Rainbow Lake
Best times of year at Rainbow Lake
- May - June
- September - October
Rainbow Lake fishing regulations
We have no lake specific regulations on file for Rainbow Lake yet.
Getting to Rainbow Lake
No organized camp sites, although there are a number of good camping areas. Nearest facilities and services are in Anahim Lake.
Coordinates: 52.9975, -123.6075
Camping and rec sites at Rainbow Lake
- Rainbow (irene) Lk
No campsite count on file (BC Recreation Sites and Trails)
Access: No organized camp sites, although there are a number of good camping areas. Nearest facilities and services are in Anahim Lake.
Depth chart for Rainbow Lake
6 mdeepest3.8 mmean
Rainbow Lake runs to 6 m (20 ft) at its deepest, by the Province survey, 1976.
The mean of 3.8 m (12 ft) is read off the same chart, surveyed in February 1976.
The Province sounded Rainbow Lake and published the depth chart surveyed in 1976.
The ice year at Rainbow Lake, modelled
Modelled from air temperature, not an ice report. It says nothing about whether ice will hold you.
In the model Rainbow Lake froze in 65 of the 65 winters since 1960. Freeze-up falls most years between 6 November and 21 November, and ice-off between 13 April and 2 May. The median winter freezes on 12 November and opens on 23 April.
the middle half of modelled winters the median ice cover in the median winter
Winter 2024-25 in the model: frozen from 17 November 2024 to 14 April 2025, 148 days.
No ice fishing closure is recorded for Rainbow 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.
Rainbow Lake climate, 1960 to 2025
Averaged over a year, the air above Rainbow Lake is 0.7 C warmer than it was in the 1960s. That is 66 years of daily readings, not a forecast.
- +0.7 Csince the 1960s
- 3.8 Caverage year now
- 3.0 Caverage year then
- -4 daysbelow freezing, change
each yearthe trend across 1960 to 2025
each yearthe trend across 1960 to 2025
This week at Rainbow 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 | 0° / -1° | 14 km/h, gusts 43 | dry | Steady |
| Wed 21 Oct | Overcast | 12° / -1° | 14 km/h, gusts 32 | dry | Falling (-5.6 hPa) |
| Thu 22 Oct | Moderate snow | 6° / -3° | 13 km/h, gusts 27 | 2 mm | Rising (+5.2 hPa) |
| Fri 23 Oct | Overcast | 6° / -4° | 7 km/h | dry | Rising (+10.7 hPa) |
| Sat 24 Oct | Overcast | 6° / -2° | 6 km/h, gusts 54 | dry | Steady |
| Sun 25 Oct | Clear sky | 6° / -3° | 5 km/h, gusts 47 | dry | Rising (+4.2 hPa) |
| Mon 26 Oct | Partly cloudy | 9° / -3° | 2 km/h, gusts 18 | dry | Falling (-4.2 hPa) |
Rainbow Lake, in brief
What fish are in Rainbow Lake?
Kokanee (last recorded 1978), Mountain Whitefish (last recorded 1978), Rainbow Trout (last recorded 1978). Species from the province's fish observation records.
Which management unit is Rainbow Lake in?
Rainbow Lake is in MU 5-13, in the Cariboo. The BC Freshwater Fishing Regulations Synopsis is organised by management unit; check it before you go.
Trout lakes near Rainbow Lake
- Stump Lake 7 km away
- Marmot Lake 9 km away
- Wutlus Lake 11 km away
- Fishpot Lake 13 km away
- Coglistiko Lake 14 km away
All 328 lakes in the Cariboo, with today's conditions on each.