Dunn Lake Depth Map & Fishing Spots (BC)

Skip to interactive depth chart

Lake depth chart

Dunn Lake, BC

Max 276 ft

Today's read

Where to start

Chironomids (stillwater midges) window is on — see the hatch outlook

Hatch outlook

Chironomids (stillwater midges)Active window

Typical here: Sep 1 – Oct 31 · the smaller fall second season — hatches continue on mild afternoons

nymphearly morning, start of the day — fish the bloodworm ON the bottom — 4–6 inches off the mud before the emergence starts
pupathe cool morning hours are prime — as the emergence builds, slide the pupa up to 12–15 inches off bottom under the indicator; a little wind chop does the jigging

Concentrates by DEPTH BAND and mud type, not a fixed spot: roughly 20–25 ft in spring, deeper midsummer, in against the feeder creeks in summer heat, 5–25 ft in fall. Match the band.

This one translates almost perfectly: a slip float with a 1/64–1/100 oz midge-pattern jig set 4–15 inches off bottom over a mud flat, dead-sticked with the chop doing the work. Depth control is everything — no moving lure imitates a hanging pupa; the float rig IS the technique.

The event happens over open mud flats alongside weedlines, channels and basin edges; feeder-creek mouths in summer heat

Water boatman fall flightsActive window

Typical here: Sep 1 – Oct 31 · fall mating flights on calm sunny days — 'raindrops hitting the water'; a smaller spring flight is documented right after ice-off

adultmiddday-ish on calm, sunny fall days — the fishable moment is the splashdown: boatmen dive in headfirst trailing an air bubble and make repeated trips back to the surface — a fly or lure that dives nose-first on the drop imitates exactly this

Takes are seldom subtle — trout ravage boatmen as they hit the water and during their subsurface runs.

Tailor-made for hardware: a small 1/16 oz silver-bellied spoon or jig cast AT the rings of a splashdown sinks headfirst exactly like the natural — twitch-pause it back through the top few feet. On flight days fan-cast the shallow weed margins.

The event happens over near-shore shallows, weed beds and shoal margins on calm sunny fall afternoons

Scuds (Gammarus shrimp)Active window

Typical here: Jan 1 – Dec 31 · year-round — the biomass behind the Kamloops fishery's growth rates; most important early spring and again in fall as dying weed cover exposes them

adultall day, year-round — best when weed cover is thin (early spring, late fall) — quick 1-inch 'shrimpy' strips along the weed beds and marl; in fall a subtle slow retrieve just off the bottom

Not an event — the pantry. Scud water is why these lakes grow big rainbows; fish them when nothing is hatching.

No hardware imitates a half-inch freshwater shrimp well — this is a jig game: a small olive/tan micro-jig under a slip float worked along the weed edges, or fished just off bottom in fall. Otherwise treat scud water as the signal that the lake grows big fish.

The event happens over weed beds, chara and marl flats and shoal-zone debris in calcium-rich lakes

Leeches (stillwater staple)Active window

Typical here: Jan 1 – Dec 31 · year-round — the go-to at ice-off before the chironomids start, and again through fall

adultany hour; low light and the cool ends of the season fish best — slow steady hand-twist or 2–3 inch pulls — in fall a slow steady pull outfishes a fast strip — or hang a balanced leech under an indicator

Baseline food, not an event — the honest 'nothing is hatching' answer on every interior lake, bracketing the season at ice-off and late fall.

The most spin-friendly item on the menu, with agency-documented tactics: slow-troll a Worden's Triple Teazer or Panther Martin along the drop-offs (the BC agency's own recommendation), or fish a black or olive marabou jig under a slip float over the shoal edge.

The event happens over shoal-zone vegetation, woody debris and rock, sliding to the drop-offs by day

Next on this water

Callibaetis (Speckled Dun) · mayflyApr 15 – Jul 31 · in ~7 months

Damselfly migration · forageJun 1 – Jul 31 · in ~9 months

Traveling sedge (giant lake caddis) · caddisJun 10 – Aug 15 · in ~9 months

Recommendations come from depth structure and seasonal species behavior. Treat them as a starting point, not a guarantee. Contours on this water are approximations. Never use for navigation. Always check local regulations.

Depth · ft

Loading bounded depth chart…

Recent catches at Dunn Lake

Recent public catches load as you reach this section.

Fishing Dunn Lake: what the data says

889-acre lake in Thompson-Nicola Regional District, British Columbia. The lake tops out around 276 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. Below is the species-by-species picture, pulled from the same data the map uses.

On the chart, Dunn Lake draws 889 acres inside 6.7 miles of shoreline. The shoreline is moderately structured (index 1.6) — enough points and pockets to pattern. About 0% of the surface sits shallower than 15 ft on the modeled chart — that's the weed-and-bait zone. Tip to tip the water measures near 3 mi with a 0.7-mi widest point. The water lies in Thompson-Nicola Regional District. The nearest mapped water is Mctaggart Lakes, 3 mi to the south.

Burbot fishing at Dunn Lake

Spring puts burbot in skinny water — 25 to 70 ft is the zone. As the season builds they drop to 50 to 120 ft, wintering in 15 to 60 ft. Summer burbot concentrate at Break off the point, a good-rated drop-off around 124 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around after dark and midday. A heavy jig + cut bait covers the summer program.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	25 to 70 ft	night & dusk	Deep basin (235 ft)	Glow jigging spoon + cut bait, Rattle bait (dark)
Summer	50 to 120 ft	night & midday	Break off the point (124 ft)	Heavy jig + cut bait
Fall	30 to 80 ft	night & dusk	Deep basin (235 ft)	Glow spoon + minnow head, Blade bait (slow)
Winter	15 to 60 ft	night & dusk	Deep basin (235 ft)	Glow tungsten + cut bait, Rattle spoon + minnow head

Kokanee fishing at Dunn Lake

In spring, kokanee run shallow here, mostly 10 to 30 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 30 to 70 ft before dropping to 20 to 80 ft for winter. Spring kokanee concentrate at Deep basin, a good-rated deep basin around 235 ft. Fish it in early morning and you'll meet the bite. You won't need more than a dodger + pink/orange squid on downrigger or a kokanee bug + corn most summer days.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	10 to 30 ft	dawn	Deep basin (235 ft)	Small dodger + squid (pink), Wedding-ring spinner + corn
Summer	30 to 70 ft	dawn	Deep basin (235 ft)	Dodger + pink/orange squid on downrigger, Kokanee bug + corn
Fall	5 to 40 ft	dawn	open water	Dodger + squid (deeper red/purple), Small spoon
Winter	20 to 80 ft	dawn	Deep basin (235 ft)	Small glow jig + corn or maggot, Tiny spoon

Lake Trout fishing at Dunn Lake

Spring puts lake trout in skinny water — 10 to 40 ft is the zone. As the season builds they drop to 50 to 120 ft, wintering in 20 to 80 ft. Summer lake trout concentrate at Break off the point, a prime-rated drop-off around 124 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning. A white tube jig (deep) or a magnum spoon on downrigger covers the summer program.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	10 to 40 ft	dawn & dusk	Main-lake point (69 ft)	Casting spoon over shoals, Jerkbait (shallow)
Summer	50 to 120 ft	dawn	Break off the point (124 ft)	White tube jig (deep), Magnum spoon on downrigger
Fall	10 to 50 ft	dusk & dawn	open water	Heavy casting spoon, Jigging rap over reefs
Winter	20 to 80 ft	dawn	Deep basin (235 ft)	White tube jig, Airplane jig

Rainbow Trout fishing at Dunn Lake

Spring puts rainbow trout in skinny water — 5 to 20 ft is the zone. Warm water sends them out to 8 to 30 ft; cold water stacks them in 8 to 40 ft. Shallow bay flat is the standout, a feeding flat at roughly 6 ft, rated good for spring rainbow trout. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. A dodger + spoon (deep troll) or a flutter spoon covers the summer program.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	5 to 20 ft	dawn & dusk	Shallow bay flat (6 ft)	Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon
Summer	8 to 30 ft	dawn & dusk	Shallow bay flat (6 ft)	Dodger + spoon (deep troll), Flutter spoon
Fall	10 to 35 ft	dawn & dusk	open water	Casting spoon, Jerkbait over shoals
Winter	8 to 40 ft	dawn	Break off the point (124 ft)	Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white)

Notable structure

6 pieces of structure are mapped here — Deep basin, around 235 ft, is the deepest of them.

Deep basin: deep basin, around 235 ft
Break off the point: drop-off, around 124 ft
Main-lake point: point, around 69 ft
Secondary point: point, around 69 ft
Shallow bay flat: feeding flat, around 6 ft
Back-bay flat: feeding flat, around 6 ft

Public access & boat ramps

Dunn Lake North — carry-in access

Access data: British Columbia Recreation Sites and Trails - Recreation Sites Subset. Confirm conditions and fees locally before you launch.

Dunn Lake fishing regulations

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 Dunn Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.

Check the official British Columbia fishing regulations →

Common questions

How deep is Dunn Lake?

Dunn Lake is about 276 ft (84 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 Dunn Lake?

Anglers target burbot, kokanee, lake trout, rainbow trout on Dunn Lake.

Where is the best fishing spot on Dunn Lake?

Break off the point is the top-rated area: a drop-off in about 124 ft of water that rates prime for lake trout in summer. The interactive chart above rates every spot for each species and season.

When is the best time to fish Dunn 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.

What are the fishing regulations for Dunn Lake?

Fishing on Dunn 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.

Nearby waters

Mctaggart Lakes 3 mi · Hallamore Lake 5 mi · Dum Lake 7 mi · Lemieux Lake 9 mi · Latremouille Lake 10 mi · Emar Lake 11 mi · Laurel Lake 11 mi · Colborne Lake 13 mi · Long Island Lake 13 mi · Tintlhohtan Lake 13 mi · Caverhill Lake 14 mi · Steiger Lake 14 mi

See how Dunn Lake stacks up: best rainbow trout lakes in British Columbia · best lake trout lakes in British Columbia · best kokanee lakes in British Columbia · best burbot lakes in British Columbia

More water nearby: Thompson-Nicola Regional District fishing maps (322 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.