Gardom Lake Depth Map & Fishing Spots (BC)

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Lake depth chart

Gardom Lake, BC

Max 78 ft

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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 here are generated from real agency depth surveys; use the survey badge for the provider, dataset, datum and measured coverage. Never use for navigation. Always check local regulations.

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Recent catches at Gardom Lake

Shared by DepthScout anglers. Exact spots stay private, always.

No shared catches here yet — be the first.Log a catch from the map above and share it to put Gardom Lake on the board.

Fishing Gardom Lake: what the data says

187-acre lake in Columbia-Shuswap Regional District, British Columbia. The lake tops out around 78 ft. The depth chart comes from published agency bathymetric survey data, so the contours are survey-derived rather than computer-modeled. Every species below gets its seasonal read from the same numbers driving the chart.

Gardom Lake maps at 187 acres behind 3.3 miles of shoreline, with 2 islands in the mix. A middling shoreline index (1.7) gives it some bays to work without being a maze. About 52% of the surface sits shallower than 15 ft — that's the weed-and-bait zone. Figure 1 mi of water from one end to the other, 0.5 mi at the beam. Columbia-Shuswap Regional District claims this one. Spa Lake sits 12 mi west — the closest neighbouring chart.

Brook Trout fishing at Gardom Lake

When the water first warms, brook trout slide up into 2 to 15 ft. Summer is a 10 to 30 ft game here, winter a 3 to 20 ft one. Start at Main-lake point. It's a point holding about 2 ft of water and rates prime come spring. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. Keep a small spoon fished deep or a trolled lake-clear wobbler + worm rigged through the warm months.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	2 to 15 ft	dawn & dusk	Main-lake point (2 ft)	Small inline spinner (gold), Tiny spoon
Summer	10 to 30 ft	dawn & dusk	Break off the point (35 ft)	Small spoon fished deep, Trolled lake-clear wobbler + worm
Fall	2 to 15 ft	midday & dawn	Main-lake point (2 ft)	Small spoon (orange), Spinner
Winter	3 to 20 ft	dawn	Back-bay flat (2 ft)	Small jigging spoon, Tungsten jig + plastic

Cutthroat Trout fishing at Gardom Lake

Start shallow in spring: cutthroat trout sit in 3 to 15 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 10 to 35 ft, and winter fish settle into 10 to 40 ft. The spot to know is Break off the point, a drop-off in about 35 ft of water that rates prime for cutthroat trout in summer. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. Throw a trolled spoon (small) or an inline spinner until the fish tell you otherwise.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	3 to 15 ft	dawn & dusk	Main-lake point (2 ft)	Inline spinner (silver/gold), Small spoon
Summer	10 to 35 ft	dawn & dusk	Break off the point (35 ft)	Trolled spoon (small), Inline spinner
Fall	5 to 25 ft	dawn & dusk	Main-lake point (2 ft)	Casting spoon, Inline spinner
Winter	10 to 40 ft	dawn	Break off the point (35 ft)	Small jigging spoon, Marabou jig

Lake Trout fishing at Gardom Lake

Early season lake trout use the shallows, holding in 10 to 40 ft. Summer is a 23 to 78 ft game here, winter a 20 to 78 ft one. The chart's best answer is Deep basin — deep basin, 70 ft, prime for summer. Best bite is early morning. Tie on a white tube jig (deep) or a magnum spoon on downrigger and you're in the game.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	10 to 40 ft	dawn & dusk	Break off the point (35 ft)	Casting spoon over shoals, Jerkbait (shallow)
Summer	23 to 78 ft	dawn	Deep basin (70 ft)	White tube jig (deep), Magnum spoon on downrigger
Fall	10 to 50 ft	dusk & dawn	Break off the point (35 ft)	Heavy casting spoon, Jigging rap over reefs
Winter	20 to 78 ft	dawn	Deep basin (70 ft)	White tube jig, Airplane jig

Smallmouth Bass fishing at Gardom Lake

Spring smallmouth bass on Gardom Lake hold shallow, usually 3 to 12 ft. By summer they slide out to 10 to 30 ft, and by winter most fish are in 20 to 45 ft. The chart's best answer is Break off the point — drop-off, 35 ft, prime for winter. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	3 to 12 ft	dawn & dusk	Main-lake point (2 ft)	Ned rig, Tube jig
Summer	10 to 30 ft	dawn & dusk	Break off the point (35 ft)	Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig
Fall	8 to 25 ft	midday & dawn	Main-lake point (2 ft)	Jerkbait, Blade bait
Winter	20 to 45 ft	midday	Break off the point (35 ft)	Blade bait, Hair jig

Rainbow Trout fishing at Gardom Lake

Come spring, look for rainbow trout tight to the bank in 5 to 20 ft. They move out to 8 to 30 ft in summer and finish the year down in 8 to 40 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Break off the point: a drop-off around 35 ft that scores prime in winter. Best bite is early morning and the evening. A dodger + spoon (deep troll) or a flutter spoon is the honest summer answer here.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	5 to 20 ft	dawn & dusk	Main-lake point (2 ft)	Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon
Summer	8 to 30 ft	dawn & dusk	Break off the point (35 ft)	Dodger + spoon (deep troll), Flutter spoon
Fall	10 to 35 ft	dawn & dusk	Break off the point (35 ft)	Casting spoon, Jerkbait over shoals
Winter	8 to 40 ft	dawn	Break off the point (35 ft)	Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white)

Yellow Perch fishing at Gardom Lake

Spring puts yellow perch in skinny water — 3 to 12 ft is the zone. As the season builds they drop to 10 to 30 ft, wintering in 15 to 35 ft. Fall yellow perch concentrate at Break off the point, a prime-rated drop-off around 35 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning. A drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm covers the summer program.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	3 to 12 ft	midday & dawn	Back-bay flat (2 ft)	Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank
Summer	10 to 30 ft	dawn	Break off the point (35 ft)	Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm
Fall	12 to 35 ft	midday	Break off the point (35 ft)	Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader
Winter	15 to 35 ft	midday & dawn	Break off the point (35 ft)	Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small)

Notable structure

6 pieces of structure are mapped here — Deep basin, around 70 ft, is the deepest of them.

Deep basin: deep basin, around 70 ft
Break off the point: drop-off, around 35 ft
Main-lake point: point, around 2 ft
Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 2 ft
Secondary point: point, around 1 ft
Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 1 ft

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

Check the official British Columbia fishing regulations →

Common questions

How deep is Gardom Lake?

Gardom Lake is about 78 ft (24 m) deep at its deepest point. The depth chart comes from published agency bathymetric survey data, so the contours are survey-derived rather than computer-modeled.

What fish are in Gardom Lake?

Anglers target brook trout, cutthroat trout, lake trout, smallmouth bass, rainbow trout, yellow perch on Gardom Lake.

Where is the best fishing spot on Gardom Lake?

Break off the point is the top-rated area: a drop-off in about 35 ft of water that rates prime for cutthroat trout in summer. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.

When is the best time to fish Gardom 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 Gardom Lake?

Fishing on Gardom 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

Spa Lake 12 mi · Kernaghan Lake 12 mi · Wallensteen Lake 12 mi · Bolean Lake 12 mi · Heart Lake 13 mi · Madeline Lake 13 mi · Round Lake 13 mi · Silvernail Lake 13 mi · Mara Lake 14 mi · Otter Lake 14 mi · Spanish Lake 14 mi · Skimikin Lake 17 mi

See how Gardom Lake stacks up: best smallmouth bass lakes in British Columbia · best rainbow trout lakes in British Columbia · best yellow perch lakes in British Columbia · best lake trout lakes in British Columbia

More water nearby: Columbia-Shuswap Regional District fishing maps (49 charts). Browse all British Columbia fishing maps or see every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry: published agency survey data. 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.