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Fishing Gates Lake: what the data says
162-acre lake near British Columbia. The lake tops out around 59 ft. The contours are modeled from the water's real shoreline and maximum depth. Treat them as a rough guide, and never use them for navigation. What follows comes from the same scoring engine that paints the spots above.
Cutthroat Trout fishing at Gates Lake
In spring, cutthroat trout run shallow here, mostly 3 to 15 ft. By summer they slide out to 10 to 35 ft, and by winter most fish are in 10 to 40 ft. The spot to know is Break off the point, a drop-off in about 27 ft of water that rates prime for cutthroat trout in summer. Best bite is early morning and the evening. A trolled spoon (small) or a inline spinner covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Inline spinner (silver/gold), Small spoon |
| Summer | 10 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | Trolled spoon (small), Inline spinner |
| Fall | 5 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Casting spoon, Inline spinner |
| Winter | 10 to 40 ft | dawn | Small jigging spoon, Marabou jig |
Kokanee fishing at Gates Lake
Start shallow in spring: kokanee sit in 10 to 30 ft that time of year. By summer they slide out to 18 to 59 ft, and by winter most fish are in 15 to 59 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Deep basin: a deep basin around 50 ft that scores prime in summer. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning. A dodger + pink/orange squid on downrigger or a kokanee bug + corn covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 10 to 30 ft | dawn | Small dodger + squid (pink), Wedding-ring spinner + corn |
| Summer | 18 to 59 ft | dawn | Dodger + pink/orange squid on downrigger, Kokanee bug + corn |
| Fall | 5 to 40 ft | dawn | Dodger + squid (deeper red/purple), Small spoon |
| Winter | 15 to 59 ft | dawn | Small glow jig + corn or maggot, Tiny spoon |
Rainbow Trout fishing at Gates Lake
Spring rainbow trout on Gates Lake hold shallow, usually 5 to 20 ft. They move out to 8 to 30 ft in summer and finish the year down in 8 to 40 ft. The spot to know is Break off the point, a drop-off in about 27 ft of water that rates prime for rainbow trout in winter. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Summer baits: a dodger + spoon (deep troll) or a flutter spoon gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon |
| Summer | 8 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Dodger + spoon (deep troll), Flutter spoon |
| Fall | 10 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | Casting spoon, Jerkbait over shoals |
| Winter | 8 to 40 ft | dawn | Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white) |
Notable structure
- Deep basin: deep basin, around 50 ft
- Break off the point: drop-off, around 27 ft
- Main-lake point: point, around 15 ft
- Secondary point: point, around 15 ft
- Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 6 ft
- Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 6 ft
Common questions
How deep is Gates Lake?
Gates Lake is about 59 ft (18 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 Gates Lake?
Anglers target rainbow trout, kokanee, cutthroat trout on Gates Lake.
Where is the best fishing spot on Gates Lake?
Break off the point is the top-rated area: a drop-off in about 27 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 Gates Lake?
For cutthroat 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.
Nearby waters
Birkenhead Lake · Blackwater Lake · Lower Joffre Lake · Mosquito Lake · Ivey Lake · Cerulean Lake
See how Gates Lake stacks up: best rainbow trout lakes in British Columbia · best kokanee lakes in British Columbia · best cutthroat trout lakes in British Columbia
Browse all British Columbia fishing maps or every water on DepthScout. How we build these maps. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.