Ice fishing in Region 5 Cariboo

Fishing region 5 (Cariboo) covers 0 wildlife management units. The 2025-2027 synopsis lists 184 waters here with rules of their own. 33 of them are closed to ice fishing and 5 carry a thin-ice warning because they are aerated. Every other lake follows the regional quotas below.

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Region 5 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 1 over 50 cm, 2 from streams, 1 Dolly Varden/bull trout and 2 lake trout. Release all steelhead, lake trout Oct 1-Nov 30, and bull trout from streams Aug 1-Oct 31.
Bass: 0 quota, closed to all fishing
Burbot: 5
Kokanee: 5 (none from streams)
Whitefish: 15 (all species combined)

Regional notes for winter

Failure to remove an ice fishing hut before spring breakup is an offence under the Environmental Management Act.
Aeration projects can leave dangerous thin ice and open water on Dewar, Higgins, Irish, Simon and Skulow lakes.
There is no minimum size for trout in lakes (see tables for exceptions).

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.

Dewar Lake · MU 5-2 · no ice fishing
Higgins Lake · MU 5-1
Irish Lake · MU 5-1
Simon Lake · MU 5-2 · no ice fishing
Skulow Lake · MU 5-2

Waters closed to ice fishing (33)

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

Abbott Lake · 5-2

Ballon Lake · 5-2

Basalt Lake · 6-1

Blue Lake (near Alexandria) (near Alexandria) · 5-2

Boar Lake (Dog Creek drainage) (Dog Creek drainage) · 5-2

Cook Lake (Solomon Lake area) (Solomon Lake area) · 5-2

Dewar Lake · 5-2

“Dog” Lake · 5-2

Donnely Lake · 5-1

Dorsey Lake · 5-2

Earle Lake · 5-1

Elk Lake · 5-2

Faulkner Lake · 5-1

Forest Lake · 5-2

Frog Lake · 5-6

“Geese” Lake (2 km northeast of Eliguk Lake) (2 km northeast of Eliguk Lake) · 5-12

Greenlee Lake · 5-1

“Grizzly” Lake (unnamed lake approx. 4.5 km upstream of Maeford Lake) (unnamed lake approx. 4.5 km upstream of...) · 5-15

Hidden Lake · 5-6

“Kestrel” Lake · 5-2

Lemon Lake (in Gibbons Creek drainage) (in Gibbons Creek drainage) · 5-2

“Little Jones” Lake · 5-2

Nolan Lake · 5-1

Patenaude Lake · 5-2

“Sandy” Lake · 5-2

Sardine Lake · 5-2

Secret Lake · 5-6

Simon Lake · 5-2

“Snag” Lake · 5-1

Tilgatgo Lake · 5-12

Valentine Lake · 5-2

“Whale” Lake (Gustafsen Lake area) (Gustafsen Lake area) · 5-2

Wolf Lake (situated approx. 2.3 km northeast of Lorin Lake) (situated approx. 2.3 km northeast of Lor...) · 5-1

Other waters with winter rules

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

Atnarko/Bella Coola Rivers Except: Burnt Bridge Creek upstream of Sitkatapa Creek, Hunlen Creek upstream of Hunlen Falls, and Young Creek upstream of Hwy 20 (see separate entries for these three waters) (EXCEPT: Burnt Bridge Creek upstream of Sitkatapa Creek, Hunlen Creek upstream of...): Class II water downstream of Young Creek, Mar 1-May 31. NOTE: Classified Waters Licence or Steelhead Stamp not required until reopened to steelhead fishing
Baker Creek: Youth/Disabled Accompanied Water year round (see page 4) downstream of Pinnacles Provincial Park
Burnt Bridge Creek (upstream of Sitkatapa Creek) (upstream of Sitkatapa Creek): Class II water Mar 1-May 31. NOTE: Classified Waters Licence or Steelhead Stamp not required until reopened to steelhead fishing
Dean River: Fly fishing only from (a) Anahim Lake to Iltasyuko River, June 15- Mar 31, and (b) Crag Creek to fishing boundary signs approximately 500 m upstream of canyon, July 15-Sept 30
Fraser River: No Fishing for steelhead from the confluence with the Chilcotin River downstream to the Region 5 boundary Jan 1-Dec 31
Green Lake: No Fishing northeast of line between boundary signs on opposite shores of the bay at the mouth of Watch Creek, Mar 1-May 31
Quesnel Lake: No Fishing southwest of a line between fishing boundary signs on opposite shores of Horsefly Bay, Mar 1-May 31; No Fishing in North Arm, north of a line between Watt and Service Creeks, Mar 1-May 31
Quesnel River: No Fishing upstream of Cariboo River, Mar 1-June 15
Stum Lake: No Fishing Mar 1-Aug 31
Watch Creek: No Fishing Mar 1-May 31

Region 2 All regions Ice fishing in BC guide

Source: BC Freshwater Fishing Regulations Synopsis 2025-2027, Region 5 Cariboo (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.