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Rating depth structure for pacific chinook salmon.
Recent public catches load as you reach this section.
61-acre Deep Bay Harbour fishing map with contributor-qualified CHS NONNA survey contours (95.74% measured, 95.74% assessed), four measured spots, regional DFO salmon and herring evidence, harbour moorage and a private public-use ramp, and current Area 14, CSSP and adjacent-RCA guidance. The water tops out around 75 ft. The depth chart comes from CHS bathymetric survey data, so the contours are survey-derived rather than computer-modeled. The rest of this page walks each species through its year, using the map's own scoring.
Drawn out, this is 60 acres of water rimmed by 1.4 miles of bank. A shoreline index of 1.3 says round and simple: fish relate to depth changes here, not shoreline features. Roughly 65% of the water is 15 ft or less, the band where the food chain lives. Figure 0.5 mi of water from one end to the other, 0.4 mi at the beam. The nearest mapped water is Graham Lake, 4 mi to the north.
In spring, pacific chinook salmon run shallow here, mostly 19 to 75 ft. Summer keeps them at 10 to 75 ft, and they winter in 21 to 75 ft. Winter pacific chinook salmon concentrate at Deep Bay Harbour western basin, a prime-rated deep basin around 75 ft. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. You won't need more than a herring or sand-lance spoon or a baitfish hoochie behind a flasher most summer days.
Depth note: when a documented seasonal range extends below this chart, the table shows the deepest mapped working water, not a verified holding depth.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 19 to 75 ft chart-limited; documented 30 to 120 ft | dawn | Deep Bay Harbour central channel shoulder (57 ft) | Herring-pattern spoon, Three-to-four-inch baitfish swimbait |
| Summer | 10 to 75 ft chart-limited; documented 20 to 150 ft | dawn & dusk | Deep Bay Harbour central channel shoulder (57 ft) | Herring or sand-lance spoon, Baitfish hoochie behind a flasher |
| Fall | 8 to 75 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 100 ft | dawn & dusk | Deep Bay Harbour central channel shoulder (57 ft) | Compact spoon, Baitfish spinner where legal |
| Winter | 21 to 75 ft chart-limited; documented 50 to 180 ft | midday | Deep Bay Harbour western basin (75 ft) | Slow-trolled spoon, Deep baitfish plug |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: pacific coho salmon in 10 to 70 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 8 to 75 ft before dropping to 23 to 75 ft for winter. The spot to know is Deep Bay Harbour western basin, a deep basin in about 75 ft of water that rates prime for pacific coho salmon in winter. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Summer baits: a small hoochie behind a flasher or a slim spoon gets it done.
Depth note: when a documented seasonal range extends below this chart, the table shows the deepest mapped working water, not a verified holding depth.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 10 to 70 ft | dawn & dusk | Deep Bay Harbour central channel shoulder (57 ft) | Small silver spoon, Slim baitfish fly |
| Summer | 8 to 75 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 100 ft | dawn & dusk | Deep Bay Harbour central channel shoulder (57 ft) | Small hoochie behind a flasher, Slim spoon |
| Fall | 5 to 60 ft | dawn & dusk | Deep Bay Harbour central channel shoulder (57 ft) | Small spinner where legal, Compact spoon |
| Winter | 23 to 75 ft chart-limited; documented 30 to 100 ft | midday | Deep Bay Harbour western basin (75 ft) | Slow small spoon, Compact trolling fly |
Spring pink salmon on Deep Bay Harbour hold shallow, usually 8 to 60 ft. They move out to 3 to 70 ft in summer and finish the year down in 17 to 75 ft. Put Deep Bay Harbour western basin first on the milk run — a deep basin near 75 ft that grades prime for winter. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a pink or orange casting spoon or a small hoochie.
Depth note: when a documented seasonal range extends below this chart, the table shows the deepest mapped working water, not a verified holding depth.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 8 to 60 ft | dawn & dusk | Deep Bay Harbour southern entrance slope (38 ft) | Small chrome spoon, Compact herring-pattern jig |
| Summer | 3 to 70 ft | dawn & dusk | Deep Bay Harbour central channel shoulder (57 ft) | Pink or orange casting spoon, Small hoochie |
| Fall | 2 to 60 ft | dawn & dusk | Deep Bay Harbour central channel shoulder (57 ft) | Small bright spoon, Pink jig |
| Winter | 17 to 75 ft chart-limited; documented 20 to 90 ft | midday | Deep Bay Harbour western basin (75 ft) | Small vertical jig |
Spring puts lingcod in skinny water — 13 to 75 ft is the zone. Summer fish stay in 8 to 75 ft, and winter fish hold in 19 to 75 ft. Spring lingcod concentrate at Deep Bay Harbour southern entrance slope, a prime-rated drop-off around 38 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around midday and early morning. A heavy swimbait or a metal jig covers the summer program.
Depth note: when a documented seasonal range extends below this chart, the table shows the deepest mapped working water, not a verified holding depth.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 13 to 75 ft chart-limited; documented 25 to 140 ft | dawn | Deep Bay Harbour southern entrance slope (38 ft) | Heavy swimbait, Metal jig |
| Summer | 8 to 75 ft chart-limited; documented 20 to 180 ft | midday & dawn | Deep Bay Harbour southern entrance slope (38 ft) | Heavy swimbait, Metal jig |
| Fall | 11 to 75 ft chart-limited; documented 30 to 200 ft | midday | Deep Bay Harbour southern entrance slope (38 ft) | Heavy metal jig, Large swimbait |
| Winter | 19 to 75 ft chart-limited; documented 60 to 240 ft | midday | Deep Bay Harbour southern entrance slope (38 ft) | Heavy slow-pitch jig |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: surfperch in 2 to 18 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 3 to 25 ft before dropping to 6 to 35 ft for winter. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Summer baits: a 1–2 inch grub or a small paddletail gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 18 ft | dawn | open water | Small grub on a light jig, Sand-crab imitation |
| Summer | 3 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | open water | 1-2 inch grub, Small paddletail |
| Fall | 4 to 30 ft | dawn | open water | Small jig and grub, Compact spoon |
| Winter | 6 to 35 ft | midday | open water | Slow small grub, Light bottom jig |
Deep Bay Harbour carries 5 mapped structure features, topping out (or rather bottoming out) at Deep Bay Harbour western basin, about 75 ft down.
Access data: Regional District of Nanaimo - Electoral Area H Official Community Plan, section 4.6. Confirm conditions and fees locally before you launch.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for British Columbia waters are set by the DFO Pacific Region recreational-fishing rules — and special regulations can apply to Deep Bay Harbour specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official British Columbia fishing regulations →
Deep Bay Harbour is about 75 ft (23 m) deep at its deepest point. The depth chart comes from CHS bathymetric survey data, so the contours are survey-derived rather than computer-modeled.
Anglers target pacific chinook salmon, pacific coho salmon, pink salmon, lingcod, surfperch on Deep Bay Harbour. The list combines the water's survey records with habitat-filtered species from broader official evidence; those additions are plausible occurrences, not exact-water abundance or guaranteed catches.
Deep Bay Harbour western basin is the top-rated area: a deep basin in about 75 ft of water that rates prime for pacific chinook salmon in winter. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
For pacific chinook salmon, 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 Deep Bay Harbour is regulated by the DFO Pacific Region recreational-fishing rules. 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.
Graham Lake 4 mi · Chicadee Lake 8 mi · Horne Lake 9 mi · Spider Lake 9 mi · Lacy Lake 11 mi · Cameron Lake 13 mi · Bradley Lake 13 mi · Somers Lake 14 mi · Turtle Lake 14 mi · Loon Lake 15 mi · Moran Lake 15 mi · Dickson Lake 17 mi
See how Deep Bay Harbour stacks up: best surfperch lakes in British Columbia · best pink salmon lakes in British Columbia · best pacific chinook salmon lakes in British Columbia · best pacific coho salmon lakes in British Columbia
Browse all British Columbia fishing maps. See every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry credit: CHS NONNA 10 (CHS Chart Datum (CD); 96% measured, 0% source-interpolated). 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.