Sign inSign up free Sign inSign up free Sign inSign up freeLake depth chart
Today's read
Rating depth structure for rainbow trout.
Recent public catches load as you reach this section.
3,086-acre lake in Bulkley-Nechako Regional District, British Columbia. The lake tops out around 131 ft. Bathymetry on this water is estimated from its real outline and maximum depth. Use it to shortlist water, then verify with your electronics — and never navigate by it. Here's the year, species by species, as the scoring engine sees it.
The outline encloses 3,085 acres, worked by 48.4 miles of shoreline, broken up by 11 islands. That shoreline is heavily fingered (development index 6.2) — bays, points and pockets everywhere, which multiplies the fishable edge. About 50% of the surface sits shallower than 15 ft on the modeled chart — that's the weed-and-bait zone. End to end it runs roughly 12.6 mi, about 2.4 mi across. It sits in Bulkley-Nechako Regional District. Its nearest charted neighbour, Guyishton Lake, is 6 mi to the southwest.
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. If you only fish one area, make it Sharp break: a drop-off around 26 ft that scores prime in spring. 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 | Sharp break (26 ft) | Small dodger + squid (pink), Wedding-ring spinner + corn |
| Summer | 30 to 70 ft | dawn | Sharp break (33 ft) | Dodger + pink/orange squid on downrigger, Kokanee bug + corn |
| Fall | 5 to 40 ft | dawn | Sharp break (33 ft) | Dodger + squid (deeper red/purple), Small spoon |
| Winter | 20 to 80 ft | dawn | Sharp break (33 ft) | Small glow jig + corn or maggot, Tiny spoon |
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 Rock reef. It's a rock pile holding about 11 ft of water and rates prime come fall. 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 | Sharp break (5 ft) | Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon |
| Summer | 8 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Rock reef (11 ft) | Dodger + spoon (deep troll), Flutter spoon |
| Fall | 10 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | Rock reef (11 ft) | Casting spoon, Jerkbait over shoals |
| Winter | 8 to 40 ft | dawn | Sharp break (33 ft) | Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white) |
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. Fall lake whitefish concentrate at Rock reef, a prime-rated rock pile around 11 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 | Sharp break (33 ft) | Small jig + waxworm, Blade bait (small) |
| Summer | 40 to 90 ft | dawn | Sharp break (33 ft) | Blade bait vertical, Small jigging spoon |
| Fall | 8 to 30 ft | dusk | Rock reef (11 ft) | Small spoon (gold), Jig + plastic larva |
| Winter | 25 to 70 ft | midday & dawn | Sharp break (33 ft) | Jigging spoon + bead chain, Tungsten jig + waxie |
11 pieces of structure are mapped here — Deep basin, around 111 ft, is the deepest of them.
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 Burns Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official British Columbia fishing regulations →
Burns Lake is about 131 ft (40 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 kokanee, rainbow trout, lake whitefish on Burns Lake.
Rock reef is the top-rated area: a rock pile in about 11 ft of water that rates prime for lake whitefish in fall. Scroll up to the map for the complete spot list by species and season.
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.
Fishing on Burns 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.
Guyishton Lake 6 mi · Tchesinkut Lake 8 mi · Co-Op Lake 9 mi · Packrat Lake 10 mi · Sponge Lake 10 mi · Decker Lake 10 mi · Ling Lake 10 mi · Division Lake 11 mi · Nuphar Lake 11 mi · Anders Lake 11 mi · Pinkut Lake 13 mi · Nellian Lake 14 mi
See how Burns 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: Bulkley-Nechako Regional District fishing maps (324 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.