Frances Lake Depth Map & Fishing Spots (BC)

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Lake depth chart

Frances Lake, BC

Max 48 ft

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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

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Recent catches at Frances Lake

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Fishing Frances Lake: what the data says

72-acre lake in Fraser Valley Regional District, British Columbia. The lake tops out around 48 ft. Depth here is modeled from the true shoreline and max depth rather than surveyed; use it to plan, not to navigate. What follows comes from the same scoring engine that paints the spots above.

Frances Lake maps at 72 acres behind 1.5 miles of shoreline. The basin is a simple one (shoreline index 1.3) — close to a bowl, so the structure on the chart matters more than the bank. Roughly 33% of the water is 15 ft or less as modeled, the band where the food chain lives. The basin spans about 0.7 mi end to end and 0.3 mi across at its widest. It sits in Fraser Valley Regional District. Hannah Lake sits 1 mi west — the closest neighbouring chart.

Brook Trout fishing at Frances Lake

Come spring, look for brook trout tight to the bank in 2 to 15 ft. Expect a summer slide to 10 to 30 ft, then a winter hold in 3 to 20 ft. Start at Break off the point. It's a drop-off holding about 22 ft of water and rates prime come summer. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. A small spoon fished deep or a trolled lake-clear wobbler + worm is the honest summer answer here.

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	Shallow bay flat (6 ft)	Small jigging spoon, Tungsten jig + plastic

Rainbow Trout fishing at Frances Lake

When the water first warms, rainbow trout slide up into 5 to 20 ft. By summer they slide out to 8 to 30 ft, and by winter most fish are in 8 to 40 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Break off the point: a drop-off around 22 ft that scores prime in winter. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Keep a dodger + spoon (deep troll) or a flutter spoon rigged through the warm months.

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)

Lake Whitefish fishing at Frances Lake

In spring, lake whitefish run shallow here, mostly 15 to 45 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 14 to 48 ft, and winter fish settle into 14 to 48 ft. Deep basin is the standout, a deep basin at roughly 41 ft, rated prime for summer lake whitefish. Time it for early morning. You won't need more than a blade bait vertical or a small jigging spoon most summer days.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	15 to 45 ft	midday & dawn	Break off the point (22 ft)	Small jig + waxworm, Blade bait (small)
Summer	14 to 48 ft	dawn	Deep basin (41 ft)	Blade bait vertical, Small jigging spoon
Fall	8 to 30 ft	dusk	Break off the point (22 ft)	Small spoon (gold), Jig + plastic larva
Winter	14 to 48 ft	midday & dawn	Deep basin (41 ft)	Jigging spoon + bead chain, Tungsten jig + waxie

Notable structure

Count 6 structure marks on this chart. The deepest, Deep basin, sits near 41 ft.

Deep basin: deep basin, around 41 ft
Break off the point: drop-off, around 22 ft
Main-lake point: point, around 12 ft
Secondary point: point, around 12 ft
Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 6 ft
Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 6 ft

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

Check the official British Columbia fishing regulations →

Common questions

How deep is Frances Lake?

Frances Lake is about 48 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.

What fish are in Frances Lake?

Anglers target brook trout, rainbow trout, lake whitefish on Frances Lake.

Where is the best fishing spot on Frances Lake?

Deep basin is the top-rated area: a deep basin in about 41 ft of water that rates prime for lake whitefish in summer. The interactive chart above rates every spot for each species and season.

When is the best time to fish Frances Lake?

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.

What are the fishing regulations for Frances Lake?

Fishing on Frances 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

Hannah Lake 1 mi · Nahatlatch Lake 6 mi · Fishblue Lake 7 mi · Inkawthia Lake 27 mi · Turnip Lake 31 mi · Gillis Lake 31 mi · Lily Lake 32 mi · Abbott Lake 35 mi · Fire Lake 35 mi · Harrison Lake 36 mi · Glacier Lake 36 mi · Jeanne Lake 37 mi

See how Frances Lake stacks up: best rainbow trout lakes in British Columbia · best brook trout lakes in British Columbia · best lake whitefish lakes in British Columbia

More water nearby: Fraser Valley Regional District fishing maps (71 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.