Fishing Report

We headed out from the Lower Mainland at 5 AM on the long weekend for a quick day trip into the Merritt area. Our first stop looked promising, but when we arrived there was still snow everywhere and it was absolutely freezing. After a short look around, we decided to move on and try another nearby lake instead. Luckily, the second lake had much nicer conditions with mild weather and clouds rolling through the day.

The water was still cold, but chironomids were starting to pop here and there, which got the fish active. Most of the trout were holding in 5–10 feet of water, especially around drop-offs, which turned out to be the key pattern of the day. Black chironomids in sizes 12–14 worked best, and once we dialed that in, the action stayed steady. We saw plenty of other boats hooking fish too, so it was clear the lake was fishing well overall.

Biggest fish of the day was a beautiful 5-pound rainbow that fought hard in the cold water. After the rough start at the snowy first lake, it turned into an awesome spring day on the water and a great reminder that sometimes changing locations makes all the difference.