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Rating depth structure for northern pike.
Shared by DepthScout anglers. Exact spots stay private, always.
1,573-acre lake in British Columbia. The lake tops out around 95 ft. The depth picture is modeled, anchored to the true shoreline and the water's published max depth — a scouting aid, never a chart to run a boat by. What follows comes from the same scoring engine that paints the spots above.
On the chart, Chismaina Lake draws 1,569 acres inside 11.5 miles of shoreline. Index 2.1 on the shoreline: a few honest points and pockets, nothing labyrinthine. The shallow band under 15 ft claims about 40% of the surface on the model — that's where the groceries are. End to end it runs roughly 3.8 mi, about 1.4 mi across. The water lies in Stikine Region. Closest neighbour on DepthScout: Disella Lake, 6 mi west of here.
Start shallow in spring: arctic grayling sit in 2 to 10 ft that time of year. Warm water sends them out to 3 to 15 ft; cold water stacks them in 8 to 25 ft. Top water on the chart: Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in the 6 ft range, good in spring. Fish it in the evening and early morning and you'll meet the bite. Throw a dry fly (parachute adams, elk hair caddis) or a small inline spinner until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | midday & dusk | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | 1/16 oz spinner (silver), Small dry fly (Adams, Griffith's) |
| Summer | 3 to 15 ft | dusk & dawn | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Dry fly (parachute Adams, elk hair caddis), Small inline spinner |
| Fall | 6 to 20 ft | midday | Break off the point (43 ft) | Small spoon, Beadhead nymph under indicator |
| Winter | 8 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | Deep basin (81 ft) | Tungsten jig + waxworm, Small jigging spoon (gold) |
Start shallow in spring: burbot sit in 25 to 70 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 29 to 95 ft, and winter fish settle into 15 to 60 ft. The spot to know is Deep basin, a deep basin in about 81 ft of water that rates prime for burbot in summer. Warm-month bites cluster around after dark and midday. Throw a heavy jig + cut bait until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 25 to 70 ft | night & dusk | Deep basin (81 ft) | Glow jigging spoon + cut bait, Rattle bait (dark) |
| Summer | 29 to 95 ft | night & midday | Deep basin (81 ft) | Heavy jig + cut bait |
| Fall | 30 to 80 ft | night & dusk | Deep basin (81 ft) | Glow spoon + minnow head, Blade bait (slow) |
| Winter | 15 to 60 ft | night & dusk | Break off the point (43 ft) | Glow tungsten + cut bait, Rattle spoon + minnow head |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: chinook salmon in 5 to 40 ft. As the season builds they drop to 29 to 95 ft, wintering in 30 to 90 ft. Top water on the chart: Deep basin, a deep basin in the 81 ft range, prime in summer. Time it for early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a flasher + fly (green/white) or a magnum spoon on downrigger gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (43 ft) | Trolled spoon (orange/gold), Stickbait off planer boards |
| Summer | 29 to 95 ft | dawn & dusk | Deep basin (81 ft) | Flasher + fly (green/white), Magnum spoon on downrigger |
| Fall | 10 to 50 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (43 ft) | J-plug (glow), Flasher + fly |
| Winter | 30 to 90 ft | midday | Deep basin (81 ft) | Small spoon on a slow troll, Stickbait deep |
When the water first warms, cisco (lake herring) slide up into 10 to 40 ft. By summer they slide out to 40 to 80 ft, and by winter most fish are in 20 to 60 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Deep basin: a deep basin around 81 ft that scores prime in summer. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning. Keep a vertical flutter spoon (small) or a drop-shot micro plastic rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 10 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (43 ft) | Small silver spoon, Tiny swim jig (white) |
| Summer | 40 to 80 ft | dawn | Deep basin (81 ft) | Vertical flutter spoon (small), Drop-shot micro plastic |
| Fall | 5 to 25 ft | dusk & dawn | open water | Small casting spoon, Inline spinner (silver) |
| Winter | 20 to 60 ft | dawn | Break off the point (43 ft) | Small jigging spoon (glow/silver), Tungsten jig + minnow head |
Start shallow in spring: lake trout sit in 10 to 40 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 29 to 95 ft, and winter fish settle into 20 to 80 ft. The spot to know is Deep basin, a deep basin in about 81 ft of water that rates prime for lake trout in summer. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning. Throw a white tube jig (deep) or a magnum spoon on downrigger until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 10 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (24 ft) | Casting spoon over shoals, Jerkbait (shallow) |
| Summer | 29 to 95 ft | dawn | Deep basin (81 ft) | White tube jig (deep), Magnum spoon on downrigger |
| Fall | 10 to 50 ft | dusk & dawn | Main-lake point (24 ft) | Heavy casting spoon, Jigging rap over reefs |
| Winter | 20 to 80 ft | dawn | Deep basin (81 ft) | White tube jig, Airplane jig |
Spring puts northern pike in skinny water — 2 to 8 ft is the zone. As the season builds they drop to 8 to 20 ft, wintering in 5 to 15 ft. Spring northern pike concentrate at Shallow bay flat, a prime-rated weed flat around 6 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. A bucktail or a weedless spoon over cabbage covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | #5 inline spinner, Spoon (red/white) |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), Husky-style jerkbait |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft | midday | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Tip-ups, Large jigging spoon |
Chismaina Lake also holds lake whitefish (40 to 90 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
Structure-wise the chart holds 6 features, led in depth by Deep basin at roughly 81 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 Chismaina Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official British Columbia fishing regulations →
Chismaina Lake is about 95 ft (29 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 arctic grayling, burbot, chinook salmon, cisco (lake herring), lake trout, northern pike, lake whitefish on Chismaina Lake.
Deep basin is the top-rated area: a deep basin in about 81 ft of water that rates prime for burbot in summer. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
For arctic grayling, the summer bite is best in the evening and 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 Chismaina 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.
Disella Lake 6 mi · Prairie Lake 10 mi · Gun Lake 11 mi · Kedahda Lake 15 mi · Hyland Lake 18 mi · Aconitum Lake 21 mi · Nakina Lake 22 mi · Victoria Lake 23 mi · Ruth Lake 40 mi · Klinkit Lake 41 mi · Butte Lake 43 mi · Tachilta Lakes 44 mi
See how Chismaina Lake stacks up: best northern pike lakes in British Columbia · best chinook salmon lakes in British Columbia · best lake trout lakes in British Columbia · best lake whitefish lakes in British Columbia
More water nearby: Stikine Region fishing maps (88 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.