McConnell Lake Park is 35 kilometres south of Kamloops and 49 kilometres north of Merritt, reached from the Lac Le Jeune exit off Highway 5. BC Parks describes McConnell Lake as popular with anglers and noted for rainbow trout over one and a half kilograms.
The park protects a plateau lake surrounded by hilly forested uplands.
McConnell Lake is a compact fishing, paddling, and walking destination in the Thompson region. The clear lake is a regionally significant rainbow trout fishery and is also popular for ice fishing in winter. Canoeists and kayakers use the lake, though there is no developed beach or designated swimming area.
The 3.5-kilometre Lakeshore Loop Trail circles the lake, and nearby Stake Lake offers more than 45 kilometres of additional trails for hiking or cross-country skiing. BC Parks notes Montane Spruce and old-growth Douglas fir specimens, with riparian and shoal habitat that provides critical feeding areas for rainbow trout.
Fish for rainbow trout with the proper licence, ice fish in winter, canoe or kayak the lake, walk the Lakeshore Loop Trail, snowshoe informally depending on snow and access, use nearby Stake Lake trails, and hunt during open seasons where permitted.
Campfires are not permitted. Keep dogs leashed and pack out waste, report impassable fallen trees to the Kamloops office, remove weeds from boats and motors to prevent Eurasian watermilfoil spread, and note that the nearest public phone is near Lac Le Jeune Park. Check ice conditions independently.
