Stump Lake

MU 3-20, Thompson-Nicola
50.3608° N, 120.3711° W

WaterTraced road inRoadRough surface roadRec siteShoreline from the BC Freshwater Atlas, roads from the BC Digital Road Atlas, under the Open Government Licence, British Columbia. Rec site position from BC Recreation Sites and Trails, checked 9 September 2026. The lake's depth is not drawn on this map.

Surface area: 714.7ha
Maximum depth: 21.3m; 70 ft
Elevation: 750m

A deep, highly alkaline trophy stillwater in the Nicola Valley famous for producing heavyweight 5 to 10+ lb rainbow trout, especially during late spring chironomid hatches and prime autumn leech feeding periods. A large, expansive lake along Hwy 5A holding heavy rainbow trout that feed aggressively on minnows and scuds.

Open Stump Lake in the appThe 7-day forecast, max depth and wildfire smoke check, on the lake's own coordinate.

Trophy fish at Stump Lake

Stump Lake is known for trophy Rainbow trout to 12 lb.

Rainbow trout to 12 lb
Lake trout to 10 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.

Stump Lake at a glance

Region: Thompson-Nicola
Management unit: MU 3-20
Species: Rainbow Trout, Lake Trout, Kokanee, Cutthroat Trout (last recorded 1995), Brook Trout (last recorded 1993), Prickly Sculpin, Northern Pikeminnow (last recorded 1957), Sculpin (General) (last recorded 1957)The province's newest fish record here is from 2026.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: 50.3608, -120.3711

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Gear for rainbow trout

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What people catch at Stump Lake

A big lake with a reputation that has changed. The rainbows used to reach 15 lb; what people are catching now is mostly 1 to 2 lb. The kokanee are the more reliable fish, reaching about 3 lb. Both species are stocked heavily.

Rainbow Trout Stocked
Typically 1 to 2 lb
Bigger fish: the lake was once known for rainbows to 15 lb
Between 60,000 and 100,000 go in each year.
Source: Chrome Catchers
Kokanee Stocked
Typically up to about 3 lb
About 100,000 fry each year.
Source: Chrome Catchers

The rule that shapes it. Speed restriction (70 km/h). Source: Province of British Columbia

Fish on record at Stump Lake

Species in the Province's fish observation records
Species	First recorded	Last recorded	Records
Rainbow Trout	1955	2026	234
Kokanee	1976	2026	90
Cutthroat Trout	1911	1995	2
Brook Trout	1980	1993	13
Prickly Sculpin	1957	2008	3
Northern Pikeminnow	1957	1957	2
Sculpin (General)	1957	1957	1

A year is when the Province last recorded the fish here, not a statement that it is caught today.

How to fish Stump Lake

Trolling Apex lures, Flatfish, and Woolly Buggers; casting spoons into drop-offs in early mornings.

Best times of year at Stump Lake

April - June
October - November

Stump Lake fishing regulations

Speed restriction (70 km/h). Source: Province of British Columbia

Getting to Stump Lake

Right on Hwy 5A between Kamloops and Merritt. Boat launch at north end and highway pullouts.

5.3 km of traced road to the campground by way of Planet Mine Rd. The road at the end is a rough surface.

The route traced over the BC Digital Road Atlas. A trace is a line on a map, not a report on the road: check conditions before you drive it.

Coordinates: 50.3608, -120.3711

Camping and rec sites at Stump Lake

Stump Lake
To the shore
29 m

16 vehicle campsites (RSTBC REC5885)
Facilities: Toilets, Tables
Access: Access is off Highway 5A between Kamloops and Merritt. <BR> Take the Peterhope Lake exit and follow the signs to Stump Lake. A left off of Peter Hope Rd. Stump Lake is approximately 4.5km from the highway.<BR> The road from Planet Mine subdivision will be decommissioned effective May 2023.
Coordinates: 50.351872, -120.372362
The site on Recreation Sites and Trails BC

Depth chart for Stump Lake

21.3 mdeepest

Stump Lake runs to 21.3 m (70 ft) at its deepest.

The Province sounded Stump Lake and published the depth chart surveyed in 1968.

Depth chart (PDF)

The ice year at Stump Lake, modelled

Modelled from air temperature, not an ice report. It says nothing about whether ice will hold you.

In the model Stump Lake froze in 65 of the 65 winters since 1960. Freeze-up falls most years between 16 November and 1 December, and ice-off between 25 March and 14 April. The median winter freezes on 23 November and opens on 3 April.

the middle half of modelled winters the median ice cover in the median winter

Winter 2024-25 in the model: frozen from 23 November 2024 to 28 March 2025, 125 days.

Stump 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.

Winterkill at Stump Lake

Winter 2022-23No winterkill reportedAn outcome reported the spring after. Winterkill Update: Spring 2023, Freshwater Fisheries Society of BC.

Stump Lake climate, 1960 to 2025

Averaged over a year, the air above Stump Lake is 1.1 C warmer than it was in the 1960s. That is 66 years of daily readings, not a forecast.

+1.1 Csince the 1960s
3.9 Caverage year now
2.8 Caverage year then
-10 daysbelow freezing, change

Average year at Stump Lakedegrees C, yearly mean

each yearthe trend across 1960 to 2025

Days below freezingdays a year averaging under 0 C

each yearthe trend across 1960 to 2025

This week at Stump 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	Fog	11° / -2°	6 km/h	dry	Steady
Wed 21 Oct	Overcast	19° / 4°	16 km/h, gusts 31	dry	Falling (-7.1 hPa)
Thu 22 Oct	Overcast	14° / 5°	11 km/h	dry	Falling (-1.9 hPa)
Fri 23 Oct	Overcast	10° / 1°	19 km/h, gusts 28	dry	Rising (+12.7 hPa)
Sat 24 Oct	Overcast	10° / -2°	12 km/h, gusts 17	dry	Rising (+4.6 hPa)
Sun 25 Oct	Overcast	8° / -2°	9 km/h	dry	Rising (+3.3 hPa)
Mon 26 Oct	Overcast	11° / -2°	8 km/h	dry	Falling (-1.6 hPa)

Open Stump Lake in the app

Stump Lake, in brief

What fish are in Stump Lake?

Rainbow Trout, Lake Trout, Kokanee, Cutthroat Trout (last recorded 1995), Brook Trout (last recorded 1993). Species from the province's fish observation records and angling reports.

Which management unit is Stump Lake in?

Stump 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 Stump Lake

Peter Hope Lake 8 km away
Little Peter Hope Lake 9 km away
Plateau Lake 9 km away
Ross Moore Lake 12 km away
Fred Lake 13 km away

All 342 lakes in the Thompson-Nicola, with today's conditions on each.