Williams Lake
MU 5-2, Cariboo
52.1167° N, 122.0719° W
- Surface area
- 699.7ha
- Maximum depth
- 24.1m
- 79 ft. Province survey, 1980
- Elevation
- 567m
Williams Lake sits in the Cariboo region, a large water (> 500 ha) with access typical of the region. Use the map view for exact coordinates and turn-by-turn directions.
Open Williams Lake in the appThe 7-day forecast, max depth and wildfire smoke check, on the lake's own coordinate.
Williams Lake at a glance
- Region
- Cariboo
- Management unit
- MU 5-2
- Species
- Kokanee, Burbot, Rainbow Trout (last recorded 1980), Lake Whitefish (last recorded 1971), Northern Pikeminnow, Lake Chub, Largescale Sucker (last recorded 1971), Peamouth Chub (last recorded 1971), Redside Shiner (last recorded 1971), White Sucker (last recorded 1971)The newest of these fish records is from 2017.Species from the province's fish observation records.
- Lake size
- Large Water (> 500 ha)
- Ice fishing
- Open to ice fishing, confirmed
- Coordinates
- 52.1167, -122.0719
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Gear for kokanee
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Fish on record at Williams Lake
| Species | First recorded | Last recorded | Records |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kokanee | 1976 | 1998 | 3 |
| Burbot | 1996 | 1996 | 1 |
| Rainbow Trout | 1927 | 1980 | 15 |
| Lake Whitefish | 1971 | 1971 | 1 |
| Northern Pikeminnow | 1990 | 2017 | 2 |
| Lake Chub | 2017 | 2017 | 1 |
| Largescale Sucker | 1971 | 1971 | 1 |
| Peamouth Chub | 1971 | 1971 | 1 |
| Redside Shiner | 1971 | 1971 | 1 |
| White Sucker | 1971 | 1971 | 1 |
A year is when the Province last recorded the fish here, not a statement that it is caught today.
How to fish Williams Lake
Best times of year at Williams Lake
- May - June
- September - October
Williams Lake fishing regulations
Speed restriction on parts (8 km/h). Source: Province of British Columbia
Getting to Williams Lake
Coordinates: 52.1167, -122.0719
Camping and rec sites at Williams Lake
- Williams Lake Isls
No campsite count on file (BC Recreation Sites and Trails)
Depth chart for Williams Lake
24.1 mdeepest12.2 mmean
Williams Lake runs to 24.1 m (79 ft) at its deepest, by the Province survey, 1980.
The mean of 12.2 m (40 ft) is read off the same chart, surveyed in February 1980.
The Province sounded Williams Lake and published the depth chart surveyed in 1980.
The ice year at Williams Lake, modelled
Modelled from air temperature, not an ice report. It says nothing about whether ice will hold you.
In the model Williams 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 18 March and 11 April. The median winter freezes on 24 November and opens on 2 April.
the middle half of modelled winters the median ice cover in the median winter
Winter 2024-25 in the model: frozen from 27 December 2024 to 23 March 2025, 86 days.
Williams 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.
Williams Lake climate, 1960 to 2025
Averaged over a year, the air above Williams Lake is 0.9 C warmer than it was in the 1960s. That is 66 years of daily readings, not a forecast.
- +0.9 Csince the 1960s
- 5.1 Caverage year now
- 4.3 Caverage year then
- -8 daysbelow freezing, change
each yearthe trend across 1960 to 2025
each yearthe trend across 1960 to 2025
This week at Williams 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 | 3° / 1° | 14 km/h, gusts 30 | dry | Steady |
| Wed 21 Oct | Fog | 14° / 0° | 13 km/h, gusts 24 | dry | Falling (-5.4 hPa) |
| Thu 22 Oct | Moderate rain | 5° / 0° | 12 km/h, gusts 27 | 1 mm | Rising (+2.8 hPa) |
| Fri 23 Oct | Fog | 7° / -1° | 8 km/h | dry | Rising (+11.9 hPa) |
| Sat 24 Oct | Overcast | 8° / 0° | 4 km/h, gusts 31 | dry | Steady |
| Sun 25 Oct | Mainly clear | 8° / -1° | 3 km/h, gusts 28 | dry | Rising (+4.7 hPa) |
| Mon 26 Oct | Partly cloudy | 10° / -1° | 4 km/h, gusts 11 | dry | Falling (-3.2 hPa) |
Williams Lake, in brief
What fish are in Williams Lake?
Kokanee, Burbot, Rainbow Trout (last recorded 1980), Lake Whitefish (last recorded 1971). Species from the province's fish observation records.
Which management unit is Williams Lake in?
Williams 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 Williams Lake
- Williams Lake under 1 km away
- Brunson Lake 10 km away
- Dugan Lake 13 km away
- Jones Lake 13 km away
- Dewar Lake 17 km away
All 328 lakes in the Cariboo, with today's conditions on each.