Near record early opening to local fishing season

The warmest winter in decades has made local anglers happy — at least for now.

The prolonged spell of warm weather has brought the earliest beginning to the Interior’s fishing season in recent memory. Two lakes — Six Mile and Morgan lakes — have been ice free for a week already and others are extremely close, said fly-fishing guide and author Brian Chan.

Chan said Monte Lake is also open, and White Lake near Salmon Arm is close. Barnes and Willard lakes near Ashcroft won’t be far off from opening, nor will Jacko Lake.

Chan, who is also a retired government fisheries biologist, said it’s been more than 20 years since he can remember any lakes opening to fishing so early in the year.

Last year, Six Mile and Morgan lakes — generally the first in the Kamloops area to become ice-free — did not open up until mid-April, Chan said. Anglers were catching trout there last week.

“It’s a near record,” Chan said. “It’s possible to ski a half day, then go fishing in the afternoon.”

But there is a possible downside to the great start. The short winter has left local snowpacks depleted, something that could drastically affect lake and river water levels later in the season.

Chan said many local lakes are already too low — a dry winter won’t help. Hopefully spring rains will come in abundance, he added, and boost lake levels before the heat of summer.

Kamloops fisheries biologist Stephen Maricle said the short winter has meant fewer lakes face the prospect of winterkill.

Oxygen testing shows Frisken and Isobel lakes are dead, he noted, but those lakes usually die off in the winter because of a lack of oxygen.

It’s likely Isobel Lake will be restocked with 2,000 or more “catchable” 12-inch trout later in the spring, he said. Those fish will grow rapidly and could be two pounds by fall. Isobel is a designated family fishing lake, meaning only those less than 16 years old, or senior citizens, are allowed to fish.

Maricle said the lack of snow on many lakes this year allowed sunlight to penetrate to the lake bottoms and allow for plant photosynthesis, which produces oxygen.

As a result, most lakes will be in excellent shape this year when the ice comes off, he said.

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