"Quesnel Lake" Quesnel Lake by Darby2

Carved out of the mountains of the Central Cariboo, Quesnel Lake is the deepest fjord lake in North America, more than 610 meters deep or 2000 feet. It has a shoreline of more than 600 km and a surface area of more than 27,000 hectares (67,000 acres)

Only Great Slave Lake is slightly deeper.

Link to map of the area

Quesnel Lake Rainbow

The fishing in Quesnel Lake and its many tributary streams is outstanding! The largest Rainbow trout can often exceed 25 pounds. There are also Dolly Varden char, Lake trout, Kokanee, Sturgeon and burbot (fresh water lingcod)

Fish on!!!

There are dozens of rivers and streams flowing into Quesnel Lake that offer heart-stopping fishing. Bring your waders or a float tube.

There are a couple of ways to get to Quesnel Lake. 1) To the town of Likely on the west end of Quesnel Lake: turn east off Hwy 97 at 150 Mile House onto the Horsefly Rd. Continue to the major intersection of paved roads, then turn left (northeast) onto the Likely Road. Total distance from 150 Mile is 85 km (53 mi). From here you can access the northern portion of the lake. Ask for information and directions in Likely. 2) To the village of Horsefly and on to the southern shores of Quesnel Lake: turn east off Hwy 97 at 150 Mile House on to the Horsefly Road. Stay on this road until you reach the village of Horsefly 59 km (37 mi). From this point you can access either the southwest or southeast portions of Quesnel Lake. Directions and information can be obtained in Horsefly. This is the largest lake in the Cariboo District, and there are many wilderness roads to the lake. It is advised that you acquire a good map of the area. Pickup a Cariboo Forest Region Recreation Map from a tourist info booth or contact Cariboo Forest Region Headquarters at (250) 398-4345.

• Pros:Outstanding fishing!
• Cons:Like any large lake, can be dangerous to small boaters
• In a nutshell:Off the beaten path...no fishing pressure.