Paska Lake - 050301
The Meadow Creek Road is the main route between Kamloops and Logan Lake. It can be accessed off the Coquihalla Highway near Lac le Jeune or by driving east from Logan Lake. The road travels through open country dotted with ranches. Part way along the road, a side route climbs north to a series of Highland Lakes.
The Paska Lake Road is a good road and suitable for two wheel drive vehicles, as it climbs up beside Morrison Creek on its way to Paska Lake. Beyond, road conditions are good during summer, but will vary with the seasons. Some of the more remote lakes require a four wheel drive vehicle with good clearance.
From the turn off, Paska Lake is a 14 km drive. The route in is forested and the views are limited, but at Paska Lake, the views open up and beautiful Paska Lake lies to your right. At 1,440 meters elevation (4,724 feet), it is fifty hectares in size, very accessible and well-used. Paska is stocked with rainbow trout and a popular summer destination. It freezes over from November right through to mid-May.
An open, B.C. Forest Service Campsite lies on the west bank of the lake. There are fifty sites with picnic tables, pit toilets and a boat launch. Many campers come to Paska Lake and venture out to fish, hike, mountain bike, dirt bike, ATV, ride on horseback or explore. The lake is used for canoeing, boating and swimming. In the winter, the area is used for snowmobiling and cross country skiing.
Centered at Paska Lake, there are trails east up the slopes of Chuwhels Mountain or north to Greenstone Mountain. Many smaller lakes, side roads and trails exist for anyone who wants to explore.
Paska Lake has excellent populations of freshwater shrimp, chironomid, caddis fly, mayfly and dragonfly larvae, providing feed for the trout that grow up to three pounds. It is a very good fly fishing lake.
Face Lake, sixty hectares in size, is a short drive north of Paska and is also called Mile High Lake. There is a small B.C. Forest Service Campsite on the north end of the lake with ten sites, a car top boat launch and a private resort on the lake. Trolling for trout is the best method for fishing on this highland lake. Beyond Face Lake, the road gets rougher and in some seasons may require a four wheel drive vehicle, but the lakes beyond are worth the slow going.
Dominic Lake is north of Paska, it is 36 hectares in size and sits at 5,000 feet. Ice remains on the lake until the end of May and there is a fishing camp on the lake with cabins and boats. The lake is stocked with rainbow trout and because of its elevation; the fishing is good for the whole ice-free season, although trout sizes are smaller.
Beyond Dominic Lake, Dairy Lake is 26 hectares in size and lies at 1,460 meters or 4,789 feet. There is a small B.C. Forest Service Campsite and a boat launch. This lake is sometimes subject to winterkill. Further down the slopes to the north lies Duffy Lake at 23 hectares and 1,160 meters (3,800 feet). It can also be accessed from the north via the Greenstone Mountain road system. This is another B.C. Forest Service Campsite, a boat launch and excellent fishing.
On this highland plateau, there are numerous other lakes including the Wyse Lakes and Roper Lake. This is an area worth exploring, staying for awhile and returning to. Try out the Paska Lake Road this summer!
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