Lake depth chart
Today's read
Rating depth structure for rainbow trout.
Recent public catches load as you reach this section.
496-acre lake in British Columbia. The lake tops out around 344 ft. This chart interpolates between a real shoreline and a known maximum depth. It will point you at likely water, but it is not a navigation product. Here's the year, species by species, as the scoring engine sees it.
Arden Lake maps at 495 acres behind 5.2 miles of shoreline. A middling shoreline index (1.7) gives it some bays to work without being a maze. The shallow band under 15 ft claims about 0% of the surface on the model — that's where the groceries are. Tip to tip the water measures near 2.2 mi with a 0.7-mi widest point. It sits in Skeena-Queen Charlotte Regional District. Its nearest charted neighbour, Lachmach Lake, is 10 mi to the west.
Come spring, look for rainbow trout tight to the bank in 5 to 20 ft. Expect a summer slide to 8 to 30 ft, then a winter hold in 8 to 40 ft. Start at Shallow bay flat. It's a feeding flat holding about 6 ft of water and rates good come spring. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. A dodger + spoon (deep troll) or a flutter spoon is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon |
| Summer | 8 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Dodger + spoon (deep troll), Flutter spoon |
| Fall | 10 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | open water | Casting spoon, Jerkbait over shoals |
| Winter | 8 to 40 ft | dawn | open water | Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white) |
When the water first warms, kokanee slide up into 10 to 30 ft. By summer they slide out to 30 to 70 ft, and by winter most fish are in 20 to 80 ft. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning. Keep a dodger + pink/orange squid on downrigger or a kokanee bug + corn rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 10 to 30 ft | dawn | open water | Small dodger + squid (pink), Wedding-ring spinner + corn |
| Summer | 30 to 70 ft | dawn | open water | Dodger + pink/orange squid on downrigger, Kokanee bug + corn |
| Fall | 5 to 40 ft | dawn | open water | Dodger + squid (deeper red/purple), Small spoon |
| Winter | 20 to 80 ft | dawn | open water | Small glow jig + corn or maggot, Tiny spoon |
Spring puts lake whitefish in skinny water — 15 to 45 ft is the zone. As the season builds they drop to 40 to 90 ft, wintering in 25 to 70 ft. Spring lake whitefish concentrate at Shallow bay flat, a good-rated feeding flat around 6 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning. A blade bait vertical or a small jigging spoon covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 15 to 45 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Small jig + waxworm, Blade bait (small) |
| Summer | 40 to 90 ft | dawn | open water | Blade bait vertical, Small jigging spoon |
| Fall | 8 to 30 ft | dusk | open water | Small spoon (gold), Jig + plastic larva |
| Winter | 25 to 70 ft | midday & dawn | open water | Jigging spoon + bead chain, Tungsten jig + waxie |
Early season burbot use the shallows, holding in 25 to 70 ft. Expect a summer slide to 50 to 120 ft, then a winter hold in 15 to 60 ft. In summer the feeding windows fall in after dark and midday. Tie on a heavy jig + cut bait and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 25 to 70 ft | night & dusk | open water | Glow jigging spoon + cut bait, Rattle bait (dark) |
| Summer | 50 to 120 ft | night & midday | open water | Heavy jig + cut bait |
| Fall | 30 to 80 ft | night & dusk | open water | Glow spoon + minnow head, Blade bait (slow) |
| Winter | 15 to 60 ft | night & dusk | open water | Glow tungsten + cut bait, Rattle spoon + minnow head |
Count 6 structure marks on this chart. The deepest, Deep basin, sits near 292 ft.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for British Columbia waters are set by the BC freshwater fishing synopsis — and special regulations can apply to Arden Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official British Columbia fishing regulations →
Arden Lake is about 344 ft (105 m) deep at its deepest point. The contours here are modeled from the water's real shape and maximum depth, so treat them as a rough guide.
Anglers target rainbow trout, kokanee, lake whitefish, burbot on Arden Lake. This isn't a survey of the water — none is published for it — but an informed estimate from the species common to the region, narrowed by this water's depth, size and each species' range.
Shallow bay flat is the top-rated area: a feeding flat in about 6 ft of water that rates good for rainbow trout in spring. The map above holds the full rated-spot list for every species and season.
For rainbow trout, the summer bite is best in early morning and the evening. Each species page section below lists the seasonal windows, and the map shows a live NOW badge when you're inside one.
Fishing on Arden Lake is regulated by the BC freshwater fishing synopsis. Check the official British Columbia regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
Lachmach Lake 10 mi · Leverson Lake 11 mi · Minerva Lake 13 mi · Davis Lake 13 mi · Toon Lake 14 mi · Marion Lake 15 mi · Khtada Lake 16 mi · Bill Lake 17 mi · Kergin Lake 17 mi · Rainbow Lake 19 mi · Prudhomme Lake 19 mi · Diana Lake 21 mi
See how Arden Lake stacks up: best rainbow trout lakes in British Columbia · best kokanee lakes in British Columbia · best lake whitefish lakes in British Columbia · best burbot lakes in British Columbia
More water nearby: Skeena-Queen Charlotte Regional District fishing maps (46 charts). Browse all British Columbia fishing maps. See every water on DepthScout. How we build these maps. Fish here with a sonar unit that logs? Send us your depth data and we'll improve this chart, credited to you. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.