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Best rainbow trout lakes in British Columbia

2110 British Columbia waters hold rainbow trout, 241 mapped with real state-agency depth surveys. Ranked below by size and depth-data quality — open any water to see exactly where to fish it: depth contours, scored spots with plain-English reasons, seasonal windows and bait picks. The classic stocked cold-water trout. Depth is everything: rainbows follow the temperature layer they like.

1. Kinbasket Lake — 325 ft max · Rainbow Trout, Brook Trout, Kokanee, Lake WhitefishWhy #1: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 10 public access sites, 7 carry-in or shore-oriented
2. Babine Lake — 610 ft max · Rainbow Trout, Lake Trout, Kokanee, Lake WhitefishWhy #2: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 1 public access site, 1 carry-in or shore-oriented
3. Kootenay Lake — 509 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Rainbow Trout, Yellow Perch, Common CarpWhy #3: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 8 public access sites, 7 carry-in or shore-oriented
4. Nechako Reservoir — 299 ft max · Rainbow Trout, Kokanee, Lake Whitefish, BurbotWhy #4: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 1 public access site, 1 carry-in or shore-oriented
5. Takla Lake — 941 ft max · Rainbow Trout, Lake Trout, KokaneeWhy #5: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 1 public access site
6. Okanagan Lake — 794 ft max · Smallmouth Bass, Rainbow Trout, Yellow Perch, Lake TroutWhy #6: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 1 public access site
7. Shuswap Lake — 530 ft max · Rainbow Trout, Lake Trout, Kokanee, Lake WhitefishWhy #7: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 1 public access site
8. Lower Arrow Lake — 590 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Rainbow Trout, Yellow PerchWhy #8: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 4 public access sites, 4 carry-in or shore-oriented
9. Stuart Lake — 317 ft max · Rainbow Trout, Lake Trout, Kokanee, Lake WhitefishWhy #9: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 2 public access sites, 2 carry-in or shore-oriented
10. Eutsuk Lake — 1001 ft max · Rainbow Trout, Kokanee, Lake Whitefish, BurbotWhy #10: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · no verified access record attached
11. Harrison Lake — 915 ft max · Rainbow Trout, Chinook Salmon, Coho Salmon, SteelheadWhy #11: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 5 public access sites, 4 carry-in or shore-oriented
12. Adams Lake — 1500 ft max · Rainbow Trout, Coho Salmon, Lake Trout, KokaneeWhy #12: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 6 public access sites, 3 carry-in or shore-oriented
13. Francois Lake — 802 ft max · Rainbow Trout, Lake Trout, Kokanee, Lake WhitefishWhy #13: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 7 public access sites, 5 carry-in or shore-oriented
14. Chilko Lake — 1201 ft max · Rainbow Trout, Chinook Salmon, Coho Salmon, SteelheadWhy #14: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · no verified access record attached
15. Tezzeron Lake — 142 ft max · survey depth data · Rainbow Trout, Lake Trout, Kokanee, Lake WhitefishWhy #15: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site, 1 carry-in or shore-oriented
16. Morice Lake — 775 ft max · Rainbow Trout, Chinook Salmon, Coho Salmon, SteelheadWhy #16: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · no verified access record attached
17. Pinchi Lake — 221 ft max · survey depth data · Rainbow Trout, Lake Trout, Kokanee, Lake WhitefishWhy #17: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
18. Isaac Lake — 572 ft max · Rainbow Trout, Lake Trout, Kokanee, Lake WhitefishWhy #18: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · no verified access record attached
19. Horsefly Lake — 625 ft max · Rainbow Trout, Lake Trout, KokaneeWhy #19: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 1 public access site, 1 carry-in or shore-oriented
20. Tetachuck Lake — 659 ft max · Rainbow Trout, KokaneeWhy #20: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · no verified access record attached
21. Trembleur Lake — 337 ft max · Rainbow Trout, Lake Trout, Kokanee, Lake WhitefishWhy #21: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · no verified access record attached
22. Fraser Lake — 98 ft max · survey depth data · Rainbow Trout, Lake Trout, Lake Whitefish, BurbotWhy #22: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
23. Cunningham Lake — 213 ft max · survey depth data · Rainbow Trout, Lake Trout, Kokanee, Lake WhitefishWhy #23: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
24. Duncan Lake — 385 ft max · Rainbow Trout, Brook Trout, Kokanee, Lake WhitefishWhy #24: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 3 public access sites, 2 carry-in or shore-oriented
25. Natalkuz Lake — 150 ft max · Rainbow Trout, Lake Trout, Kokanee, Lake WhitefishWhy #25: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · no verified access record attached

…plus 2085 more British Columbia waters holding rainbow trout.

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When to fish rainbow trout in British Columbia

• Spring 5–20 ft — Post-ice-out trout roam shallow; fish inflows and windblown shorelines.
• Summer 8–30 ft — Rainbows hold near cold inflows, current seams and the thermocline — find the cool water and you've found the fish.
• Fall 10–35 ft — Fall feeding on rock shoals, current and channel edges as water cools.
• Winter 8–40 ft — Trout are comfortable in cold water — one of the best winter targets; streams and tailwaters fish shallow, deep lakes hold on basin edges.

Also in British Columbia: best largemouth bass lakes · best smallmouth bass lakes · best walleye lakes · best northern pike lakes · best crappie lakes · best yellow perch lakes · best common carp lakes · best chinook salmon lakes · best coho salmon lakes · best steelhead 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 pink salmon lakes · best chum salmon lakes · best pacific chinook salmon lakes · best pacific coho salmon lakes

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