Bonaparte Lake Depth Map & Fishing Spots (BC)

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Lake depth chart

Bonaparte Lake, BC

Max 322 ft

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Where to start

Chironomids (stillwater midges) window is on — see the hatch outlook

Hatch outlook

Chironomids (stillwater midges)Active window

Typical here: Sep 1 – Oct 31 · the smaller fall second season — hatches continue on mild afternoons

nymphearly morning, start of the day — fish the bloodworm ON the bottom — 4–6 inches off the mud before the emergence starts
pupathe cool morning hours are prime — as the emergence builds, slide the pupa up to 12–15 inches off bottom under the indicator; a little wind chop does the jigging

Concentrates by DEPTH BAND and mud type, not a fixed spot: roughly 20–25 ft in spring, deeper midsummer, in against the feeder creeks in summer heat, 5–25 ft in fall. Match the band.

This one translates almost perfectly: a slip float with a 1/64–1/100 oz midge-pattern jig set 4–15 inches off bottom over a mud flat, dead-sticked with the chop doing the work. Depth control is everything — no moving lure imitates a hanging pupa; the float rig IS the technique.

The event happens over open mud flats alongside weedlines, channels and basin edges; feeder-creek mouths in summer heat

Water boatman fall flightsActive window

Typical here: Sep 1 – Oct 31 · fall mating flights on calm sunny days — 'raindrops hitting the water'; a smaller spring flight is documented right after ice-off

adultmiddday-ish on calm, sunny fall days — the fishable moment is the splashdown: boatmen dive in headfirst trailing an air bubble and make repeated trips back to the surface — a fly or lure that dives nose-first on the drop imitates exactly this

Takes are seldom subtle — trout ravage boatmen as they hit the water and during their subsurface runs.

Tailor-made for hardware: a small 1/16 oz silver-bellied spoon or jig cast AT the rings of a splashdown sinks headfirst exactly like the natural — twitch-pause it back through the top few feet. On flight days fan-cast the shallow weed margins.

The event happens over near-shore shallows, weed beds and shoal margins on calm sunny fall afternoons

Scuds (Gammarus shrimp)Active window

Typical here: Jan 1 – Dec 31 · year-round — the biomass behind the Kamloops fishery's growth rates; most important early spring and again in fall as dying weed cover exposes them

adultall day, year-round — best when weed cover is thin (early spring, late fall) — quick 1-inch 'shrimpy' strips along the weed beds and marl; in fall a subtle slow retrieve just off the bottom

Not an event — the pantry. Scud water is why these lakes grow big rainbows; fish them when nothing is hatching.

No hardware imitates a half-inch freshwater shrimp well — this is a jig game: a small olive/tan micro-jig under a slip float worked along the weed edges, or fished just off bottom in fall. Otherwise treat scud water as the signal that the lake grows big fish.

The event happens over weed beds, chara and marl flats and shoal-zone debris in calcium-rich lakes

Leeches (stillwater staple)Active window

Typical here: Jan 1 – Dec 31 · year-round — the go-to at ice-off before the chironomids start, and again through fall

adultany hour; low light and the cool ends of the season fish best — slow steady hand-twist or 2–3 inch pulls — in fall a slow steady pull outfishes a fast strip — or hang a balanced leech under an indicator

Baseline food, not an event — the honest 'nothing is hatching' answer on every interior lake, bracketing the season at ice-off and late fall.

The most spin-friendly item on the menu, with agency-documented tactics: slow-troll a Worden's Triple Teazer or Panther Martin along the drop-offs (the BC agency's own recommendation), or fish a black or olive marabou jig under a slip float over the shoal edge.

The event happens over shoal-zone vegetation, woody debris and rock, sliding to the drop-offs by day

Next on this water

Callibaetis (Speckled Dun) · mayflyApr 15 – Jul 31 · in ~7 months

Damselfly migration · forageJun 1 – Jul 31 · in ~9 months

Traveling sedge (giant lake caddis) · caddisJun 10 – Aug 15 · in ~9 months

Recommendations come from depth structure and seasonal species behavior. Treat them as a starting point, not a guarantee. Contours on this water are approximations. Never use for navigation. Always check local regulations.

Depth · ft

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Recent catches at Bonaparte Lake

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Fishing Bonaparte Lake: what the data says

8,321-acre lake in Thompson-Nicola Regional District, British Columbia. The lake tops out around 322 ft. The contours are modeled from the water's real shoreline and maximum depth. Treat them as a rough guide, and never use them for navigation. What follows comes from the same scoring engine that paints the spots above.

Bonaparte Lake maps at 8,260 acres behind 27 miles of shoreline, broken up by 3 islands. With a 2.1 development index there's bank structure worth casting at, in moderation. Roughly 3% of the water is 15 ft or less as modeled, the band where the food chain lives. The basin spans about 10.4 mi end to end and 2.2 mi across at its widest. Thompson-Nicola Regional District claims this one. Its nearest charted neighbour, Secret Lake, is 4 mi to the south.

Kokanee fishing at Bonaparte Lake

Spring kokanee on Bonaparte Lake hold shallow, usually 10 to 30 ft. They move out to 30 to 70 ft in summer and finish the year down in 20 to 80 ft. Put Sharp break first on the milk run — a drop-off near 13 ft that grades prime for spring. The feeding windows run early morning. The summer box starts with a dodger + pink/orange squid on downrigger or a kokanee bug + corn.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	10 to 30 ft	dawn	Sharp break (13 ft)	Small dodger + squid (pink), Wedding-ring spinner + corn
Summer	30 to 70 ft	dawn	Sharp break (64 ft)	Dodger + pink/orange squid on downrigger, Kokanee bug + corn
Fall	5 to 40 ft	dawn	Sharp break (13 ft)	Dodger + squid (deeper red/purple), Small spoon
Winter	20 to 80 ft	dawn	Offshore hump (20 ft)	Small glow jig + corn or maggot, Tiny spoon

Rainbow Trout fishing at Bonaparte Lake

Early season rainbow trout use the shallows, holding in 5 to 20 ft. Summer is an 8 to 30 ft game here, winter an 8 to 40 ft one. The chart's best answer is Sharp break — drop-off, 13 ft, prime for winter. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Tie on a dodger + spoon (deep troll) or a flutter spoon and you're in the game.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	5 to 20 ft	dawn & dusk	Sharp break (13 ft)	Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon
Summer	8 to 30 ft	dawn & dusk	Sharp break (13 ft)	Dodger + spoon (deep troll), Flutter spoon
Fall	10 to 35 ft	dawn & dusk	Sharp break (13 ft)	Casting spoon, Jerkbait over shoals
Winter	8 to 40 ft	dawn	Sharp break (13 ft)	Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white)

Lake Whitefish fishing at Bonaparte Lake

The spring pattern is a shallow one: lake whitefish in 15 to 45 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 40 to 90 ft before dropping to 25 to 70 ft for winter. The spot to know is Offshore hump, an offshore hump in about 20 ft of water that rates prime for lake whitefish in spring. Plan around early morning in the warm months. Summer baits: a blade bait vertical or a small jigging spoon gets it done.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	15 to 45 ft	midday & dawn	Offshore hump (20 ft)	Small jig + waxworm, Blade bait (small)
Summer	40 to 90 ft	dawn	Sharp break (64 ft)	Blade bait vertical, Small jigging spoon
Fall	8 to 30 ft	dusk	Offshore hump (20 ft)	Small spoon (gold), Jig + plastic larva
Winter	25 to 70 ft	midday & dawn	Sharp break (64 ft)	Jigging spoon + bead chain, Tungsten jig + waxie

Notable structure

Bonaparte Lake carries 15 mapped structure features, topping out (or rather bottoming out) at Deep basin, about 274 ft down.

Deep basin: deep basin, around 274 ft
Break off the point: drop-off, around 145 ft
Main-lake point: point, around 81 ft
Secondary point: point, around 81 ft
Sharp break: drop-off, around 64 ft
Offshore hump: offshore hump, around 20 ft
Offshore hump: offshore hump, around 15 ft
Sharp break: drop-off, around 13 ft
Offshore hump: offshore hump, around 13 ft
Dock / pier line: dock line, around 8 ft
Shallow bay flat: feeding flat, around 6 ft
Back-bay flat: feeding flat, around 6 ft
Dock / pier line: dock line, around 4 ft
Dock / pier line: dock line, around 4 ft

Public access & boat ramps

Bonaparte Lake — ramp (boat launch - gravel)

Access data: British Columbia Recreation Sites and Trails - Recreation Sites Subset. Confirm conditions and fees locally before you launch.

Bonaparte Lake fishing regulations

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 Bonaparte Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.

Check the official British Columbia fishing regulations →

Common questions

How deep is Bonaparte Lake?

Bonaparte Lake is about 322 ft (98 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.

What fish are in Bonaparte Lake?

Anglers target kokanee, rainbow trout, lake whitefish on Bonaparte Lake.

Where is the best fishing spot on Bonaparte Lake?

Sharp break is the top-rated area: a drop-off in about 13 ft of water that rates prime for rainbow trout in winter. Scroll up to the map for the complete spot list by species and season.

When is the best time to fish Bonaparte Lake?

For kokanee, the summer bite is best in early morning. Each species page section below lists the seasonal windows, and the map shows a live NOW badge when you're inside one.

What are the fishing regulations for Bonaparte Lake?

Fishing on Bonaparte 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.

Nearby waters

Secret Lake 4 mi · Frankie Lake 5 mi · Twin Lake 5 mi · Bare Lake 5 mi · Norma Lake 6 mi · Hoopatatkwa Lake 6 mi · Lupin Lakes 6 mi · Lupin Lakes 7 mi · Dumbell Lake 7 mi · Martha Lake 7 mi · Hammer Lake 7 mi · Pothole Lake 7 mi

See how Bonaparte Lake stacks up: best rainbow trout lakes in British Columbia · best kokanee lakes in British Columbia · best lake whitefish lakes in British Columbia

More water nearby: Thompson-Nicola Regional District fishing maps (322 charts). Browse all British Columbia fishing maps or 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.