← British Columbia fishing maps

Best steelhead lakes in British Columbia

146 British Columbia waters list steelhead (official records or labelled estimates), 7 mapped with survey or official-chart depth data. Ranked below by size and depth-data quality, leading with the waters in our reviewed search catalog — open any water to see exactly where to fish it: depth contours, scored spots with plain-English reasons, seasonal windows and bait picks. Lake-run rainbow that lives high in the column offshore and runs rivers fall through spring. Acrobatic.

1. Babine Lake — 610 ft max · Rainbow Trout, Chinook Salmon, Coho Salmon, SteelheadWhy #1: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 1 public access site, 1 carry-in or shore-oriented
2. Harrison Lake — 915 ft max · Rainbow Trout, Chinook Salmon, Coho Salmon, SteelheadWhy #2: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 5 public access sites, 4 carry-in or shore-oriented
3. Cowichan Lake — 499 ft max · Smallmouth Bass, Rainbow Trout, Chinook Salmon, Coho SalmonWhy #3: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 5 public access sites, 4 carry-in or shore-oriented
4. Great Central Lake — 820 ft max · Rainbow Trout, Chinook Salmon, Coho Salmon, SteelheadWhy #4: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 1 public access site, 1 carry-in or shore-oriented
5. Kamloops Lake — 495 ft max · Rainbow Trout, Chinook Salmon, Coho Salmon, SteelheadWhy #5: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 2 public access sites
6. Huaskin Lake — 574 ft max · Rainbow Trout, Chinook Salmon, Coho Salmon, SteelheadWhy #6: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 1 public access site
7. Meziadin Lake — 439 ft max · Rainbow Trout, Chinook Salmon, Coho Salmon, SteelheadWhy #7: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 1 public access site
8. Nicola Lake — 187 ft max · Rainbow Trout, Chinook Salmon, Coho Salmon, SteelheadWhy #8: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 3 public access sites
9. Sproat Lake — 640 ft max · Rainbow Trout, Coho Salmon, Steelhead, KokaneeWhy #9: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 2 public access sites, 1 carry-in or shore-oriented
10. Osoyoos Lake — 208 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Crappie, Rainbow TroutWhy #10: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 10 public access sites
11. Campbell Lake — 248 ft max · Rainbow Trout, Steelhead, Cutthroat Trout, Dolly VardenWhy #11: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 11 public access sites, 9 carry-in or shore-oriented
12. Comox Lake — 358 ft max · Rainbow Trout, Chinook Salmon, Coho Salmon, SteelheadWhy #12: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 1 public access site
13. Kitsumkalum Lake — 459 ft max · Rainbow Trout, Chinook Salmon, Coho Salmon, SteelheadWhy #13: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 2 public access sites, 2 carry-in or shore-oriented
14. Chilliwack Lake — 374 ft max · Crappie, Rainbow Trout, Chinook Salmon, Coho SalmonWhy #14: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 1 public access site
15. Lakelse Lake — 106 ft max · Rainbow Trout, Chinook Salmon, Coho Salmon, SteelheadWhy #15: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 2 public access sites
16. Chehalis Lake — 453 ft max · Rainbow Trout, Coho Salmon, Steelhead, Lake WhitefishWhy #16: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 1 public access site
17. Quatse Lake — 72 ft max · real survey depth contours · Steelhead, Kokanee, Cutthroat Trout, Dolly VardenWhy #17: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
18. Mosquito Lake — 203 ft max · Rainbow Trout, Coho Salmon, Steelhead, KokaneeWhy #18: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 1 public access site
19. Little Trapper Lake — 75 ft max · real survey depth contours · Rainbow Trout, Chinook Salmon, Coho Salmon, SteelheadWhy #19: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
20. Muchalat Lake — 207 ft max · Rainbow Trout, Chinook Salmon, Coho Salmon, SteelheadWhy #20: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 1 public access site
21. Bouchie Lake — 28 ft max · real survey depth contours · Rainbow Trout, SteelheadWhy #21: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
22. Hotnarko Lake — 200 ft max · Rainbow Trout, SteelheadWhy #22: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 1 public access site, 1 carry-in or shore-oriented
23. Moyie Lake — 188 ft max · Rainbow Trout, Steelhead, Brook Trout, KokaneeWhy #23: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 1 public access site
24. Tatsatua Lake — 39 ft max · real survey depth contours · Rainbow Trout, Chinook Salmon, Coho Salmon, SteelheadWhy #24: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
25. Kathleen Lake — 197 ft max · Rainbow Trout, Chinook Salmon, Steelhead, Cutthroat TroutWhy #25: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 1 public access site

…plus 121 more British Columbia waters holding steelhead.

Find the closest steelhead waters to you →

When to fish steelhead in British Columbia

• Spring 3–20 ft — Spring-run and drop-back steelhead concentrate at tributary mouths and warm nearshore water.
• Summer 5–45 ft — Summer steelhead ride the top 30 feet over deep open water, on temperature breaks and scum lines far offshore.
• Fall 5–30 ft — Fall-run fish stage off river mouths and push in on rain — the start of the river season.
• Winter 4–15 ft — In-river fish hold in slow, deep pools and seams; midday warmth triggers the bite.

Also in British Columbia: best largemouth bass lakes · best smallmouth bass lakes · best walleye lakes · best northern pike lakes · best crappie lakes · best rainbow trout lakes · best yellow perch lakes · best common carp lakes · best chinook salmon lakes · best coho salmon lakes · best lake trout lakes · best brown trout lakes · best brook trout lakes · best kokanee lakes · best lake whitefish lakes · best burbot lakes · best arctic grayling lakes · best cutthroat trout lakes · best cisco (lake herring) lakes · best pumpkinseed lakes · best brown bullhead lakes · best surfperch lakes · best pink salmon lakes · best chum salmon lakes · best pacific chinook salmon lakes · best pacific coho salmon lakes · best lingcod lakes

Steelhead elsewhere: Ontario · Michigan · New York · Washington · Ohio · California · Idaho