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Best rainbow trout lakes in British Columbia

2110 British Columbia waters list rainbow trout (official records or labelled estimates), 261 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. The classic stocked cold-water trout. Depth is everything: rainbows follow the temperature layer they like.

1. Kinbasket Lake — 325 ft · Approximated contours · Rainbow Trout, Brook Trout, Kokanee, Lake WhitefishWhy #1: mapped size signal; check the water page for depth coverage · 10 public access sites, 7 carry-in or shore-oriented
2. Babine Lake — 610 ft · Approximated contours · Rainbow Trout, Chinook Salmon, Coho Salmon, SteelheadWhy #2: mapped size signal; check the water page for depth coverage · 1 public access site, 1 carry-in or shore-oriented
3. Kootenay Lake — 509 ft · Approximated contours · Largemouth Bass, Rainbow Trout, Yellow Perch, Common CarpWhy #3: mapped size signal; check the water page for depth coverage · 8 public access sites, 7 carry-in or shore-oriented
4. Nechako Reservoir — 299 ft · Approximated contours · Rainbow Trout, Kokanee, Lake Whitefish, BurbotWhy #4: mapped size signal; check the water page for depth coverage · 2 public access sites, 2 carry-in or shore-oriented
5. Takla Lake — 941 ft · Approximated contours · Rainbow Trout, Lake Trout, Kokanee, Bull TroutWhy #5: mapped size signal; check the water page for depth coverage · 1 public access site
6. Okanagan Lake — 794 ft · Approximated contours · Smallmouth Bass, Rainbow Trout, Yellow Perch, Lake TroutWhy #6: mapped size signal; check the water page for depth coverage · 1 public access site
7. Shuswap Lake — 530 ft · Soundings-based contours · Rainbow Trout, Chinook Salmon, Coho Salmon, Lake TroutWhy #7: mapped size signal; check the water page for depth coverage · 1 public access site
8. Lower Arrow Lake — 590 ft · Approximated contours · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Rainbow Trout, Yellow PerchWhy #8: mapped size signal; check the water page for depth coverage · 4 public access sites, 4 carry-in or shore-oriented
9. Stuart Lake — 317 ft · Approximated contours · Rainbow Trout, Chinook Salmon, Lake Trout, KokaneeWhy #9: mapped size signal; check the water page for depth coverage · 2 public access sites, 2 carry-in or shore-oriented
10. Harrison Lake — 915 ft · Approximated contours · Rainbow Trout, Chinook Salmon, Coho Salmon, SteelheadWhy #10: mapped size signal; check the water page for depth coverage · 5 public access sites, 4 carry-in or shore-oriented
11. Adams Lake — 1500 ft · Approximated contours · Rainbow Trout, Coho Salmon, Lake Trout, KokaneeWhy #11: mapped size signal; check the water page for depth coverage · 6 public access sites, 3 carry-in or shore-oriented
12. Francois Lake — 802 ft · Approximated contours · Rainbow Trout, Lake Trout, Kokanee, Lake WhitefishWhy #12: mapped size signal; check the water page for depth coverage · 7 public access sites, 5 carry-in or shore-oriented
13. Tezzeron Lake — 142 ft · Survey depth data · real survey depth contours · Rainbow Trout, Lake Trout, Kokanee, Lake WhitefishWhy #13: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site, 1 carry-in or shore-oriented
14. Pinchi Lake — 221 ft · Survey depth data · real survey depth contours · Rainbow Trout, Lake Trout, Kokanee, Lake WhitefishWhy #14: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
15. Horsefly Lake — 625 ft · Approximated contours · Rainbow Trout, Lake Trout, Kokanee, Sockeye SalmonWhy #15: mapped size signal; check the water page for depth coverage · 1 public access site, 1 carry-in or shore-oriented
16. Fraser Lake — 98 ft · Survey depth data · real survey depth contours · Rainbow Trout, Lake Trout, Lake Whitefish, BurbotWhy #16: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
17. Cunningham Lake — 213 ft · Survey depth data · real survey depth contours · Rainbow Trout, Lake Trout, Kokanee, Lake WhitefishWhy #17: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
18. Duncan Lake — 385 ft · Approximated contours · Rainbow Trout, Brook Trout, Kokanee, Lake WhitefishWhy #18: mapped size signal; check the water page for depth coverage · 3 public access sites, 2 carry-in or shore-oriented
19. Mabel Lake — 658 ft · Approximated contours · Rainbow Trout, Chinook Salmon, Lake Trout, KokaneeWhy #19: mapped size signal; check the water page for depth coverage · 5 public access sites, 4 carry-in or shore-oriented
20. Kalamalka Lake — 466 ft · Survey depth data · real survey depth contours · Rainbow Trout, Yellow Perch, Lake Trout, KokaneeWhy #20: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 5 public access sites
21. Cowichan Lake — 499 ft · Approximated contours · Smallmouth Bass, Rainbow Trout, Chinook Salmon, Coho SalmonWhy #21: mapped size signal; check the water page for depth coverage · 5 public access sites, 4 carry-in or shore-oriented
22. Slocan Lake — 978 ft · Approximated contours · Rainbow Trout, Brook Trout, Kokanee, Lake WhitefishWhy #22: mapped size signal; check the water page for depth coverage · 2 public access sites, 2 carry-in or shore-oriented
23. Murtle Lake — 1093 ft · Approximated contours · Rainbow Trout, KokaneeWhy #23: mapped size signal; check the water page for depth coverage · no verified access record attached
24. Loon Lake — 213 ft · Survey depth data · real survey depth contours · Rainbow Trout, Cutthroat TroutWhy #24: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
25. Great Central Lake — 820 ft · Approximated contours · Rainbow Trout, Chinook Salmon, Coho Salmon, SteelheadWhy #25: mapped size signal; check the water page for depth coverage · 1 public access site, 1 carry-in or shore-oriented

…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 surfperch lakes · best pink salmon lakes · best chum salmon lakes · best pacific chinook salmon lakes · best pacific coho salmon lakes · best lingcod lakes

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