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Fishing Columbia Lake: what the data says
5,951-acre lake near British Columbia. The lake tops out around 17 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. Below is the species-by-species picture, pulled from the same data the map uses.
Burbot fishing at Columbia Lake
Spring burbot on Columbia Lake hold shallow, usually 5 to 17 ft. Summer fish stay in 5 to 17 ft, and winter fish hold in 4 to 17 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Deep basin: a deep basin around 14 ft that scores prime in spring. Best bite is after dark and midday. Summer baits: a heavy jig + cut bait gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 17 ft | night & dusk | Glow jigging spoon + cut bait, Rattle bait (dark) |
| Summer | 5 to 17 ft | night & midday | Heavy jig + cut bait |
| Fall | 5 to 17 ft | night & dusk | Glow spoon + minnow head, Blade bait (slow) |
| Winter | 4 to 17 ft | night & dusk | Glow tungsten + cut bait, Rattle spoon + minnow head |
Kokanee fishing at Columbia Lake
In spring, kokanee run shallow here, mostly 5 to 17 ft. Summer fish stay in 5 to 17 ft, and winter fish hold in 4 to 17 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Deep basin: a deep basin around 14 ft that scores prime in spring. Best bite is early morning. Summer baits: a dodger + pink/orange squid on downrigger or a kokanee bug + corn gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 17 ft | dawn | Small dodger + squid (pink), Wedding-ring spinner + corn |
| Summer | 5 to 17 ft | dawn | Dodger + pink/orange squid on downrigger, Kokanee bug + corn |
| Fall | 2 to 17 ft | dawn | Dodger + squid (deeper red/purple), Small spoon |
| Winter | 4 to 17 ft | dawn | Small glow jig + corn or maggot, Tiny spoon |
Pumpkinseed fishing at Columbia Lake
Spring pumpkinseed on Columbia Lake hold shallow, usually 1 to 8 ft. They move out to 2 to 10 ft in summer and finish the year down in 5 to 17 ft. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in about 3 ft of water that rates prime for pumpkinseed in spring. Plan around the evening and early morning in the warm months. Summer baits: a micro tube or a sponge spider (fly) gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 8 ft | midday & dusk | Micro jig under a float, Tiny beetle-spin |
| Summer | 2 to 10 ft | dusk & dawn | Micro tube, Sponge spider (fly) |
| Fall | 4 to 14 ft | dusk & dawn | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 5 to 17 ft | dawn | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
Rainbow Trout fishing at Columbia Lake
Spring rainbow trout on Columbia Lake hold shallow, usually 4 to 17 ft. Summer fish stay in 5 to 17 ft, and winter fish hold in 3 to 17 ft. Break off the point is the standout, a drop-off at roughly 8 ft, rated prime for winter rainbow trout. In summer the feeding windows fall in 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 | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 4 to 17 ft | dawn & dusk | Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon |
| Summer | 5 to 17 ft | dawn & dusk | Dodger + spoon (deep troll), Flutter spoon |
| Fall | 5 to 17 ft | dawn & dusk | Casting spoon, Jerkbait over shoals |
| Winter | 3 to 17 ft | dawn | Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white) |
Lake Whitefish fishing at Columbia Lake
Start shallow in spring: lake whitefish sit in 5 to 17 ft that time of year. Summer fish stay in 5 to 17 ft, and winter fish hold in 5 to 17 ft. The spot to know is Deep basin, a deep basin in about 14 ft of water that rates prime for lake whitefish in summer. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning. Tie on a blade bait vertical or a small jigging spoon and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 17 ft | midday & dawn | Small jig + waxworm, Blade bait (small) |
| Summer | 5 to 17 ft | dawn | Blade bait vertical, Small jigging spoon |
| Fall | 5 to 17 ft | dusk | Small spoon (gold), Jig + plastic larva |
| Winter | 5 to 17 ft | midday & dawn | Jigging spoon + bead chain, Tungsten jig + waxie |
Notable structure
- Deep basin: deep basin, around 14 ft
- Main-lake point: point, around 8 ft
- Secondary point: point, around 8 ft
- Break off the point: drop-off, around 8 ft
- Shallow flat: weed flat, around 8 ft
- Shoreline point: point, around 7.815293755988892 ft
- Weed flat: weed flat, around 5.374436592784106 ft
- Shoreline point: point, around 5.133647872709689 ft
- Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 3 ft
- Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 3 ft
Common questions
How deep is Columbia Lake?
Columbia Lake is about 17 ft (5 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 Columbia Lake?
Anglers target rainbow trout, kokanee, lake whitefish, burbot, pumpkinseed on Columbia Lake.
Where is the best fishing spot on Columbia Lake?
Deep basin is the top-rated area: a deep basin in about 14 ft of water that rates prime for burbot in spring. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
When is the best time to fish Columbia Lake?
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
Whitetail Lake · Windermere Lake · Larchwood Lake · Johnson Lake · Paddy Ryan Lakes · Mcnair Lakes
See how Columbia 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
Browse all British Columbia fishing maps or every water on DepthScout. How we build these maps. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.