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Fishing Chin Lakes: what the data says
3,922-acre lake near Oaklane Hutterite Colony. The lake tops out around 76 ft. The depth chart is built from real state fisheries GPS surveys, so the humps, channels and drop-offs you see are measured, not guessed. Below is the species-by-species picture, pulled from the same data the map uses.
Burbot fishing at Chin Lakes
In spring, burbot run shallow here, mostly 25 to 70 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 23 to 76 ft, and winter fish settle into 15 to 60 ft. Deep basin is the standout, a deep basin at roughly 75 ft, rated prime for summer burbot. Best bite is after dark and midday. Tie on a heavy jig + cut bait and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 25 to 70 ft | night & dusk | Glow jigging spoon + cut bait, Rattle bait (dark) |
| Summer | 23 to 76 ft | night & midday | Heavy jig + cut bait |
| Fall | 23 to 76 ft | night & dusk | Glow spoon + minnow head, Blade bait (slow) |
| Winter | 15 to 60 ft | night & dusk | Glow tungsten + cut bait, Rattle spoon + minnow head |
Lake Whitefish fishing at Chin Lakes
Spring lake whitefish on Chin Lakes hold shallow, usually 15 to 45 ft. By summer they slide out to 23 to 76 ft, and by winter most fish are in 25 to 70 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Deep basin: a deep basin around 75 ft that scores prime in summer. Best bite is early morning. Summer baits: a blade bait vertical or a small jigging spoon gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 15 to 45 ft | midday & dawn | Small jig + waxworm, Blade bait (small) |
| Summer | 23 to 76 ft | dawn | Blade bait vertical, Small jigging spoon |
| Fall | 8 to 30 ft | dusk | Small spoon (gold), Jig + plastic larva |
| Winter | 25 to 70 ft | midday & dawn | Jigging spoon + bead chain, Tungsten jig + waxie |
Northern Pike fishing at Chin Lakes
Start shallow in spring: northern pike sit in 2 to 8 ft that time of year. By summer they slide out to 8 to 20 ft, and by winter most fish are in 5 to 15 ft. Shallow bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 5 ft, rated prime for spring northern pike. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. A bucktail or a weedless spoon over cabbage covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | #5 inline spinner, Spoon (red/white) |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday & dawn | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), Husky-style jerkbait |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft | midday | Tip-ups, Large jigging spoon |
Walleye fishing at Chin Lakes
In spring, walleye run shallow here, mostly 4 to 15 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 15 to 35 ft, and winter fish settle into 20 to 40 ft. Offshore hump is the standout, a offshore hump at roughly 16 ft, rated prime for summer walleye. Best bite is the evening and early morning. Tie on a crawler harness on bottom bouncer or a deep crankbait (trolled) and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 4 to 15 ft | dusk & dawn | 1/8 oz jig + minnow, Hair jig |
| Summer | 15 to 35 ft | dusk & dawn | Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 12 to 40 ft | dusk & night | Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow |
| Winter | 20 to 40 ft | dusk & dawn | Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait |
Notable structure
- Deep basin: deep basin, around 75 ft
- Deepest basin: deep basin, around 75 ft
- Sharp break: drop-off, around 65 ft
- Sharp break: drop-off, around 41 ft
- Offshore hump: offshore hump, around 16 ft
- Sharp break: drop-off, around 15 ft
- Main-lake point: point, around 14 ft
- Shallow feeding flat: feeding flat, around 14 ft
- Shoreline point: point, around 13 ft
- Shallow feeding flat: feeding flat, around 11 ft
- Rock reef: rock pile, around 8 ft
- Secondary point: point, around 5 ft
- Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 5 ft
- Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 5 ft
Common questions
How deep is Chin Lakes?
Chin Lakes is about 76 ft at its deepest point. The depth chart here comes from real state fisheries GPS surveys, so the contours reflect measured depths.
What fish are in Chin Lakes?
Anglers target walleye, northern pike, lake whitefish, burbot on Chin Lakes.
Where is the best fishing spot on Chin Lakes?
Deep basin is the top-rated area: a deep basin in about 75 ft of water that rates prime for burbot in summer. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
When is the best time to fish Chin Lakes?
For burbot, the summer bite is best in after dark and midday. Each species page section below lists the seasonal windows, and the map shows a live NOW badge when you're inside one.
Nearby waters
Keho Lake · Bassano Reservoir · Outpost Lake · Payne Lake · Blood Indian Creek Reservoir · Elkwater Lake
See how Chin Lakes stacks up: best walleye lakes in Alberta · best northern pike lakes in Alberta · best lake whitefish lakes in Alberta · best burbot lakes in Alberta
Browse all Alberta fishing maps or every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry credit: state fisheries survey programs. How we build these maps. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.