Locate the Recreation Site

lrp374 · Post by **lrp374** » Sat Jan 12, 2019 12:55 pm

Hyas Lake is my first contribution for the year. Hyas is one of the nearby lakes I forgot to include for good Recreation Sites. Hyas is less than 40 km. from highway #5 and a good portion is paved. If you're staying @ Paul Lake PP it would cut your trip in half. Hyas has a few cabins and a small fishing lodge that could ruin it's pristine nature. However, anytime I've been there no one is @ the cabins and I've only seen a few people wondering around the lodge. At most I've been joined by 1 other boat on the lake and they were day fishers as well. The site is supposed to have 4 camp sites but only 3 are really usable and are next to each other right near the lake. The site has 2 wharfs tied together to keep them afloat. They are handy as the lake is very shallow at this end. The lake has lots of deep and shallow areas which make fishing interesting. Most fish are not large but are still fun to catch. Hyas is good to fish all summer as it is just over 4000' . More old ones to come before the new season starts.

lrp374 · Post by **lrp374** » Mon Feb 25, 2019 10:57 am

Taurus Lake is a lake I visited in September 2013. It is located off Hwy. 33 between Beaverdell and Westbridge. It is about 7 km from the highway up a FSR that climbs nearly 1300' to the lake at an elevation of 3800'. As you can tell from the route map it has lots of switchbacks. Taurus can also be reached from the Christian Valley road north of Westbridge. It is about 11 km. Taurus has a maximum depth of about 30'. The camping sites are located on the NW, SW and SE. The site I chose was on the NW. Each has a few sites so it is quite likely you'll have an area to yourself. The only disturbance I had was a small herd of cows that passed through the site early one morning. Fishing was not great as you can tell from the lack of a fish picture!

lrp374 · Post by **lrp374** » Mon Mar 25, 2019 10:17 am

This month is another lake I haven't been to for some time. It's not far away, east of Barrier about 45 km. Johnson lake has been called the Caribbean of the north – which is why I haven't been there for a few years. A few years ago some travel writer did a You Tube of the lake and ever since it has been inundated by tourists from all over. The small fishing lodge @ the west end was booked solid for the season. I see this year they've shut down to rebuild and update their facilities. The lake has a shallow bay @ the east end with a white clay bottom that really does make it look like you're in the tropics. The recreation site has about 12 sites, some on the lake and most are quite small. Fishing can be interesting as it's easy to see the bottom in more than 30' of water. The fish are hard to catch but can be quite large. I've shown access from Barriere but you can also reach the lake from the Adams lake road.
Johnson is much more than another fishing lake!
Here is 1 of many video's
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O6FTe46MQBU

lrp374 · Post by **lrp374** » Sun May 05, 2019 7:59 pm

My contribution this month is Kingdom Lake south of Goldbridge. This a very pretty lake and at an elevation of over 4250 feet will be cool most of the year. A fairly new recreation site has been built with 15 campsites on or near the lake. A fairly good boat launch is also available. I have not fished the lake but the stories indicate it may be better for kayaking, canoeing etc. with a little fishing thrown in. One story that was consistent for those who have spent time there is the mosquitoes are awful in the spring and early summer. We were there in the fall so they were not an issue. It is worth the trip to Bralorne while your there to soak in a little of the gold mining history in the area. This area can be accessed via the Hurley Pass road – likely after mid June in normal years, from Lillooet or the north side of Anderson lake via Shalath.

lrp374 · Post by **lrp374** » Fri Jul 05, 2019 8:33 am

June camping this year was an exercise in frustration. Once dates were selected things would change and inevitably the weather would go from great to crap before you could go. I was @ Needa lake just off Hwy. 24 in late May which turned out well. ( after I couldn't get in to Crystal Lake on a Tuesday morning ) The weather was good and the fishing was okay. The best part was talking to a guy that had upgraded a road into English lake. I've been trying to get there for about 5 years and was always prevented by a fording of Jim Creek. I now know a road that bypasses the creek and with a little effort takes you right to the lake. Fish were typically about 15” and once you know the right spot you can catch fish till your tired. Great wild trout. Later in June I returned to Plateau Lake between Kamloops and Merritt to 5 days of rain and 3 separate hail storms. The first had a slushy hail but the second and third the hail was so solid it lasted over a day in our cheap cooler keeping the beer cold. The good news was the fishing was pretty good and there were no chipmunks.
July doesn't look much better so hopefully someone with great camping and or fishing experiences can add a few lines later in the month. If anyone wants maps to the areas please let me know. Info on the route to English Lake will require a significant up front bribe!!

lrp374 · Post by **lrp374** » Sat Aug 24, 2019 6:54 pm

I've been off exploring in the NWT for the last few weeks without the Delica and finally saw an L300 which appears to be almost the same as mine in Yellowknife. ( A member perhaps? ) I even caught a 20" Jack fish on a fly rod today!! Anyway I have a short site description for some traveling I did this spring. This spring I took a drive looking for new camping Rec. Sites within a reasonable distance from Kamloops. Allendale and Solco lakes are located east and south of OK Falls. A great FSR leaves the highway just south of OK falls and east to the sites. A route map is included to show the route. This is a major log hauling road so expect to see trucks anytime of the day. Both sites are over 4600 feet so are good for fishing all summer. Both have several sites with some on the lake and others in the trees. Allendale appears to have a few cabins on the north side.

lrp374 · Post by **lrp374** » Fri Sep 27, 2019 7:08 pm

Chute lake is a small lake located northeast of Penticton via Naramata. The rec. site is quite small. Some of the sites are bunched together while others are very private. The boat launch is suitable for car tops or trailered boats. I didn't camp or fish but I've been told the fishing can be good for small trout. The lake has a rustic resort as well as a few cabins. To get to the rec. site you must drive through the resort and make a sharp right next to what used to be the Kettle Valley railway. The road to the site is passable with most vehicles and certainly with a Delica. The road crosses the Kettle Valley Railway bed several times and for those interested it makes an easy spot to bike the rail line down to Penticton.

lrp374 · Post by **lrp374** » Mon Nov 04, 2019 5:42 pm

I had to include this site even though it is quite a distance from southern BC. It is located about 150 km north of Dease Lake or about 115 km south of Watson Lake, Yukon. Anyone that has been to Boya lake knows why. It has to be one of the most interesting lakes in BC. Boya Lake has a provincial park on the western shore which has a steep boat launch and several lakeside sites. If your looking for it these days the park is called Ta Ch'ila with a few extra marks over the letters I don't know how to add. The lake is similar to Johnson Lake I reviewed earlier this year but is much larger and has lots of islands and dead end bays that make it very interesting. Water depth can be from a few inches to well over 30' all over the lake. We only got to spend a few days so I still have lots of areas to explore when I get back. Take a look on Google Earth to see what I mean. Fishing is not the greatest as you might expect but if your in the right spot you may find large schools of white fish. If you go you can reserve some sites but if you arrive early sites would likely be available. Most people seem to use it for an overnight stop.

lrp374 · Post by **lrp374** » Thu Dec 05, 2019 11:06 am

My last lake of the year is Cochin Lake located in the Cariboo-Chilcotin. I've had to start using sites from the reserves again as it's getting harder to find nice sites I haven't reviewed close to Kamloops. It would be great if anyone has a few sites they would like to add whether they are Rec sites, provincial parks or even rough camping. They don't even need to be on lakes as I've heard not everyone going into the bush is fishing! If not, I've got enough in reserve for a few more years but the quality of the site may be reduced or the distance to travel may increase a lot.
Cochin Lake located about 240 km. west of Williams Lake with only about 20 km of Forestry roads that are in good condition. There are several Rec sites in the area so if this site is full ( only 5 sites ) others may have space available. Only 1 site is right on the lake with others close by in the bush. I have not fished this lake but talking to the people camped there they were fishing only an hour or so per day to catch their limit. Most fish were in the 2# range. This info is old as this site was visited in 2012 and a lot could have changed since then. The entrance looks like it's a bit rough for RV's but the people camped there had @ least a 20' trailer. Obviously no problem for a Delica.

Best of the season to all those driving on the Right and especially those 100 or so that take time to look @ the post every month. Maybe one day I'll meet a Delica on an FSR or maybe even arrange a group camp out @ one of these great spots.

lrp374 · Post by **lrp374** » Wed Jan 15, 2020 10:28 am

My first contribution this year is Face Lake. I haven't been to it for a few years but it is normally a nice quite place for day fishing from Kamloops. Face Lake is a high elevation lake ( 5200' ) which has a few cabins and the Mile High Resort on it. It is about 20 km from the Logan Lake exit on Hwy. 5. The Rec site is almost at the far end of the lake from the resort so the resort or cabins are really of no concern. The lake has a very interesting shore line with a few long peninsulas. The fishing is mostly for smaller trout but a few larger ones do exist. I'm not sure if the Rec site is still 100% functional as it is not on the official list anymore. This may be an oversite I'm not sure. The route to the site is easy except for finding the route past the cabins. A small sign exists on the corner of Atwater which leads between 2 properties to a road that takes you to the site.

lrp374 · Post by **lrp374** » Fri Feb 07, 2020 9:12 pm

I found a lake I went to last year and forgot about it until reorganizing my site info. I should have remembered as it's the only time last year my daughter and her dog went fishing with me. It's no small feat to have 2 people and a 100# dog in a 10' boat.
Lodgepole is a small lake south of Kamloops just off the Lac Le Jeune road. It used to be a party lake but the last few years they have a caretaker @ the Rec Site and things have gotten a lot quieter. In addition, a very nice wharf was added to fish from and the boat launch is improved. The camping is organized and because there is a caretaker a $12 fee per night is charged. The fishing was quite good and it turns out most of the fish I caught could have been caught by casting from the wharf. I doubt the camp sites are full often as most people appear to be dayfishers.

Post by **thelazygreenfox** » Tue Feb 18, 2020 12:48 pm

Irp
Good to see yo'ure still getting away fishing. Love your dingy and your flat bottom net. The trout in it looks tasty too.

I'll do Peterhope again in early May and mid June, in between a little hiking with my crossbow over my shoulder. it's hiking cuz I hardly pop anything just get a lot of exercise.

I'm following your posts looking for new lakes to fish but timing is everything. Your best lakes can be my worst if the weather changes. Trout are fickle if there's no hatch happening.

take care
Happy fishing.
Wayne
MD

lrp374 · Post by **lrp374** » Sat Mar 28, 2020 9:13 am

Horn Lake is my site of the month. It may be very appropriate this year as it is miles from anywhere and you could camp without fear of Covid-19. (I wrote this info on Horn lake in early March but was unable to post it. Now that I can I've checked and Horn Lake is now close due to Covid-19 as are a large number of sites with more than a few camp spots. ) It is a site I visited several years ago but I'm sure it is still the same as the caretaker is very particular about the care of the site. Horn lake is located about 220 km west of Williams Lake on Hwy. 20 and about 20 km south on a good FSR. The lake has 14 well maintained sites with easy access and comes @ a cost of $15 per night. The sites are spread out along the lake as each has access. The sites are on a bank that is steep. A nice boat launch is available near the entrance. The fishing is good and the views from the lake are great. Hopefully spring will come early and we can still get to the lakes. Send me a PM Wayne when you visit Plateau as it is an easy day trip for those lucky enough to live in Kamloops!

Post by **BCDelica** » Sat Mar 28, 2020 11:01 am

Thank you for the continued reports; Horn Lake brings up great memories for this born in Bella Coola boy, as my Father took us to the Valley every summer where 90% of the 2 weeks or so of visiting was spent fishing somewhere. I was up that way this past September, and even with my stupid travel schedule try to find my way up Hwy 20 every couple of years.

My first shared site is the Mt Curran and Mt Joan trailhead only off the Cook Creek FSR. Later this year I will post pics of the wonderful views up there. This past weekends trip was to see if my new car could make it through the deep cross ditches to the trail head. We last hiked this roughly 10 years ago, temporally getting my Delica high centered on the first ditch. My newly imported Surf, with its rear locker and my intentions to treat it to plenty West coast overgrown road damage, proved more capable than what I feel comfortable tackling. Pictured here at the South fork junction, up Comox Lake this past weekend, which is the road to Century Sam Lake (aka Instagram Lake as Islanders call it) and the Comox Glacier Trail. This was bought to replace our previous back country vehicle, as my legs are not comfortable riding after 8 to 10 hours hiking up mountains. That is Castle Craig and Mt Frink pictured above the bike, with Mt Albert Edward just behind them. This is our favorite short day route, though this day last August we attempted all 3 peaks, but it's a short scramble up Castle Craig to enjoy the view and exercise. The new rig will allow us to sleep in the back for sunrise starts and allow immediate drive home after scrambling down a rock face.

Post by **thelazygreenfox** » Sun Mar 29, 2020 9:51 pm

Hi IRP and BCD
I agree Horn is a great Lake but if you drive all that way you need try Sapeye, Bluff and especially Middle Lake. Only Sapeye has (easy) lake access and Middle lake access is through gated public property. The area floods most springs and the road can be in rough shape.

I was lucky to be given Middle Lake access many years ago. It's a beautiful lake but you need cut your way in to the lake with a chainsaw.

Keep up the great fishing and camping reports Larry.

Thanks Mark for getting Delica.ca back on line again.
Wayne