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Best rainbow trout lakes in British Columbia
1440 British Columbia waters hold rainbow trout, 18 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.
- Babine Lake — 610 ft max · Rainbow Trout, Lake Trout, Kokanee, Lake Whitefish
- Okanagan Lake — 794 ft max · Smallmouth Bass, Rainbow Trout, Yellow Perch, Lake Trout
- Shuswap Lake — 530 ft max · Rainbow Trout, Lake Trout, Kokanee, Lake Whitefish
- Lower Arrow Lake — 590 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Rainbow Trout, Yellow Perch
- Stuart Lake — 317 ft max · Rainbow Trout, Lake Trout, Kokanee, Lake Whitefish
- Eutsuk Lake — 1001 ft max · Rainbow Trout, Kokanee, Lake Whitefish, Burbot
- Francois Lake — 802 ft max · Rainbow Trout, Lake Trout, Kokanee, Lake Whitefish
- Tezzeron Lake — 142 ft max · survey depth data · Rainbow Trout, Lake Trout, Kokanee, Lake Whitefish
- Pinchi Lake — 221 ft max · survey depth data · Rainbow Trout, Lake Trout, Kokanee, Lake Whitefish
- Isaac Lake — 572 ft max · Rainbow Trout, Lake Trout, Kokanee, Lake Whitefish
- Fraser Lake — 98 ft max · survey depth data · Rainbow Trout, Lake Trout, Lake Whitefish, Burbot
- Cunningham Lake — 213 ft max · survey depth data · Rainbow Trout, Lake Trout, Kokanee, Lake Whitefish
- Duncan Lake — 385 ft max · Rainbow Trout, Brook Trout, Kokanee, Lake Whitefish
- Natalkuz Lake — 150 ft max · Rainbow Trout, Lake Trout, Kokanee, Lake Whitefish
- Mabel Lake — 658 ft max · Rainbow Trout, Lake Trout, Kokanee, Lake Whitefish
- Cowichan Lake — 499 ft max · Smallmouth Bass, Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout, Brook Trout
- Tahtsa Lake — 715 ft max · Rainbow Trout, Kokanee, Lake Whitefish, Burbot
- Slocan Lake — 978 ft max · Rainbow Trout, Brook Trout, Kokanee, Lake Whitefish
- Murtle Lake — 1093 ft max · Rainbow Trout, Kokanee
- Great Central Lake — 820 ft max · Rainbow Trout, Kokanee, Cutthroat Trout, Pumpkinseed
- Charlie Lake — 49 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike, Rainbow Trout
- Trout Lake — 820 ft max · Rainbow Trout, Lake Trout, Kokanee, Lake Whitefish
- Canim Lake — 684 ft max · Rainbow Trout, Lake Trout, Kokanee, Lake Whitefish
- Cheslatta Lake — 374 ft max · Rainbow Trout, Lake Trout, Kokanee, Lake Whitefish
- Stave Lake — 331 ft max · Rainbow Trout, Brook Trout, Kokanee, Cutthroat Trout
…plus 1415 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 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 pumpkinseed lakes · best brown bullhead lakes
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