Ice fishing in Region 3 Thompson-Nicola

Fishing region 3 (Thompson-Nicola) covers 0 wildlife management units. The 2025-2027 synopsis lists 173 waters here with rules of their own. 19 of them are closed to ice fishing and 6 carry a thin-ice warning because they are aerated. Every other lake follows the regional quotas below.

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Region 3 daily quotas

From the Regional Regulations page of the 2025-2027 synopsis. They apply to every water in the region unless the water's own entry says otherwise; possession quotas are two daily quotas unless stated.

• Trout/char: 5, but not more than 4 from streams, 1 over 50 cm and 1 bull trout (Dolly Varden) or lake trout, none under 60 cm. Release all steelhead, bull trout from streams Aug 1-Oct 31, and lake trout Oct 15-Jan 31.
• Bass: 0 quota, closed to fishing
• Burbot: 2
• Crayfish: 25
• Kokanee: 5 (none from streams)
• Whitefish: 15 (all species combined)
• White sturgeon: catch and release only
• Yellow perch: 0 quota, closed to fishing

On the ice anywhere in BC

• Ice fish with one line and one lure, artificial fly or other terminal attractor.
• You are legally responsible for warning other people of your ice hole.
• Remove your ice hut before ice breakup.
• Set lines (an unattended line) are only allowed in the lakes of Region 6 and Region 7A: one line, one hook with a gap of at least 3 cm, marked with your name, address and phone number. Any game fish other than burbot caught on one must be released.
• Your basic licence runs for the licence year, April 1 to March 31, so a licence bought last spring expires before the end of the ice season.

Aerated lakes: dangerous thin ice

The synopsis warns of thin ice and open water from aeration on these lakes. Aerators run all winter; the ice around them never firms up.

• Bleeker Lake · MU 3-20
• Horseshoe Lake · MU 3-20
• Logan Lake · MU 3-19
• Rose Lake · MU 3-20
• Tulip Lake · MU 3-20
• Walloper Lake · MU 3-19

Waters closed to ice fishing (19)

"No Ice Fishing" in the water's own entry. Most are trophy or fly-fishing lakes managed for open-water angling.

Other waters with winter rules

Entries with a rule that mentions the ice or a date between December and March.

• Adams Lake: No Fishing north of a line drawn due west from mouth of Momich River, Mar 15-June 30; Lake trout catch and release, Oct 15-Jan 31
• Adams River (upstream of Adams Lake) (upstream of Adams Lake): Bull trout (Dolly Varden) daily quota = 1 (none under 80 cm), July 1-30 and Nov 1-Dec 31
• Alice Creek: No Fishing Jan 1-Sept 30
• Bridge River: No Fishing downstream of Hwy 40 bridge (approximately 6 km north of Lillooet), Mar 31-June 20
• Coldwater River: No Fishing Jan 1-Sept 30; no trout under 25 cm; bull trout catch and release
• Eagan Lake: No Fishing Jan 1-Apr 30; Kokanee daily quota = 2; single barbless hook, May 1-Dec 31
• Frances Lake: No Fishing Jan 1-May 31
• Fraser River: No Fishing from the lower entrance of the fish ladder at Bridge River Rapids to the BC Railway Bridge approximately 2 km north of Lillooet, Mar 31-June 20; From Hwy 99 bridge at Lillooet downstream approximately 1.2 km to BC Hydro’s tail race outflow channel: No Fishing Oct 1-May 31; From the confluence with Thompson River to the CNR Bridge approximately 1 km downstream: No Fishing, Oct 1-May 31; bait ban and no hooks greater than 15 mm from point to shank, Oct 1-Dec 31; No Fishing for steelhead from the confluence with Spuzzum Creek (Region 3 boundary) to Hells Gate Aug 15-Dec 31; No Fishing for steelhead from Hells Gate upstream to the Region 3 boundary Jan 1-Dec 31
• Guichon Creek: No Fishing Jan 1-May 31
• Hannah Lake: No Fishing Jan 1-May 31
• Machete Lake (including that portion known as “Bear”Lake) (including that portion known as “Bear”Lake): No Fishing Jan 1-Apr 30
• Mahood Lake (see map on page 28 for area closure) (see map on page 28 for area closure): No Fishing within the fishing boundary signs at the western tip of the lake near the mouth of Canim River, Jan 1-June 30; Trout/char catch and release, bait ban and single barbless hook: within fishing boundary signs at the western tip of the lake, July 1-Dec 31; No Fishing within 200 m of the Mahood River outlet, Jan 1-June 30; Trout/char catch and release, bait ban and single barbless hook: within 200 m of the mouth of the Mahood River outlet, July 1-Dec 31
• Mahood River: No Fishing Jan 1-June 30
• Nahatlatch River: Downstream of Nahatlatch Lake (including Hannah and Frances lakes; except as noted upstream of), open until Dec 31; No Fishing; Jan 1-May 31; No Fishing downstream of Nahatlatch Lake, Jan 1-May 31
• Nicola River: No Fishing upstream of Nicola Lake, Jan 1-June 30; No Fishing downstream of Nicola Lake, Mar 1-Sept 30; Trout catch and release downstream of Nicola Lake, Jan 1-Feb 28
• Paul Creek (downstream of Paul Lake) (downstream of Paul Lake): Exempt from spring closure, Youth/Disabled Accompanied Water year round (see page 4)
• Spius Creek: No fishing Jan 1-Sept 30; No trout under 25 cm; bull trout catch and release
• Stein River: No Fishing Jan 1-May 31; no trout under 25 cm
• Thompson River (downstream of signs at Kamloops Lake outlet to the confluence with Fraser River) (downstream of signs at Kamloops Lake outlet to the confluence with Fraser River): Upstream of boundary signs 1 km downstream of Martel: bait ban; Downstream of signs at Kamloops Lake: Class II water Oct 1-Dec 31 and Steelhead Stamp mandatory Oct 1-Dec 31 (when open)
• White Lake: No Fishing within 400 m of the mouth of Cedar Creek as designated by signs, Dec 1-June 30

Source: BC Freshwater Fishing Regulations Synopsis 2025-2027, Region 3 Thompson-Nicola (water-specific tables and regional regulations); management units: BC Geographic Warehouse (OGL-BC). The synopsis is a summary, not the regulation, and in-season changes on gov.bc.ca/FishingRegulations override it. Lake names are linked where we could match them to a lake on our map by name and management unit. No regulation makes ice safe: check it yourself.