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Rating depth structure for rainbow trout.
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16-acre lake in Central Kootenay Regional District, British Columbia. The lake tops out around 49 ft. Contours on this water are modeled from its actual shoreline and max depth. Good for finding likely water, never for navigation. What follows comes from the same scoring engine that paints the spots above.
The outline encloses 16 acres, worked by 0.8 miles of shoreline. The basin is a simple one (shoreline index 1.4) — close to a bowl, so the structure on the chart matters more than the bank. The shallow band under 15 ft claims about 34% of the surface on the model — that's where the groceries are. Tip to tip the water measures near 0.3 mi. It sits in Central Kootenay Regional District. Its nearest charted neighbour, Erie Lake, is 17 mi to the south.
Spring brook trout on Cottonwood Lake hold shallow, usually 2 to 15 ft. By summer they slide out to 10 to 30 ft, and by winter most fish are in 3 to 20 ft. The chart's best answer is Break off the point — drop-off, 22 ft, prime for summer. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a small spoon fished deep or a trolled lake-clear wobbler + worm.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (12 ft) | Small inline spinner (gold), Tiny spoon |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (22 ft) | Small spoon fished deep, Trolled lake-clear wobbler + worm |
| Fall | 2 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (12 ft) | Small spoon (orange), Spinner |
| Winter | 3 to 20 ft | dawn | Break off the point (22 ft) | Small jigging spoon, Tungsten jig + plastic |
Spring kokanee on Cottonwood Lake hold shallow, usually 10 to 30 ft. By summer they slide out to 15 to 49 ft, and by winter most fish are in 12 to 49 ft. The chart's best answer is Deep basin — deep basin, 42 ft, prime for summer. Prime time lands in 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 | Break off the point (22 ft) | Small dodger + squid (pink), Wedding-ring spinner + corn |
| Summer | 15 to 49 ft | dawn | Deep basin (42 ft) | Dodger + pink/orange squid on downrigger, Kokanee bug + corn |
| Fall | 5 to 40 ft | dawn | Deep basin (42 ft) | Dodger + squid (deeper red/purple), Small spoon |
| Winter | 12 to 49 ft | dawn | Deep basin (42 ft) | Small glow jig + corn or maggot, Tiny spoon |
Early season rainbow trout use the shallows, holding in 5 to 20 ft. Expect a summer slide to 8 to 30 ft, then a winter hold in 8 to 40 ft. Put Break off the point first on the milk run — a drop-off near 22 ft that grades prime for winter. 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 | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (12 ft) | Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon |
| Summer | 8 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (22 ft) | Dodger + spoon (deep troll), Flutter spoon |
| Fall | 10 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (12 ft) | Casting spoon, Jerkbait over shoals |
| Winter | 8 to 40 ft | dawn | Break off the point (22 ft) | Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white) |
Cottonwood Lake carries 4 mapped structure features, topping out (or rather bottoming out) at Deep basin, about 42 ft down.
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 Cottonwood Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official British Columbia fishing regulations →
Cottonwood Lake is about 49 ft (15 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 brook trout, kokanee, rainbow trout on Cottonwood Lake.
Deep basin is the top-rated area: a deep basin in about 42 ft of water that rates prime for kokanee in summer. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
For brook trout, the summer bite is best in early morning and the evening. Each species page section below lists the seasonal windows, and the map shows a live NOW badge when you're inside one.
Fishing on Cottonwood 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.
Erie Lake 17 mi · Kootenay Lake 21 mi · Crazy Jane Lake 21 mi · Kokanee Lake 22 mi · Champion Lakes 23 mi · Champion Lakes 24 mi · Kaslo Lake 24 mi · Champion Lakes 24 mi · Crystal Lake 24 mi · Helen Deane Lake 24 mi · Joker Lakes 24 mi · Tanal Lake 24 mi
See how Cottonwood Lake stacks up: best rainbow trout lakes in British Columbia · best brook trout lakes in British Columbia · best kokanee lakes in British Columbia
More water nearby: Central Kootenay Regional District fishing maps (47 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.