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Rating depth structure for largemouth bass.
Shared by DepthScout anglers. Exact spots stay private, always.
59-acre lake in East Kootenay Regional District, British Columbia. The lake tops out around 24 ft. The depth chart comes from published agency bathymetric survey data, so the contours are survey-derived rather than computer-modeled. What follows comes from the same scoring engine that paints the spots above.
The outline encloses 59 acres, worked by 1.6 miles of shoreline. A middling shoreline index (1.5) gives it some bays to work without being a maze. The shallow band under 15 ft claims about 51% of the surface — that's where the groceries are. End to end it runs roughly 0.6 mi, about 0.2 mi across. It sits in East Kootenay Regional District. Its nearest charted neighbour, New Lake, is 2 mi to the north.
When the water first warms, brook trout slide up into 2 to 15 ft. By summer they slide out to 7 to 24 ft, and by winter most fish are in 3 to 20 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Deep basin: a deep basin around 20 ft that scores prime in summer. In summer the feeding windows fall in 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 (1 ft) | Small inline spinner (gold), Tiny spoon |
| Summer | 7 to 24 ft | dawn & dusk | Deep basin (20 ft) | Small spoon fished deep, Trolled lake-clear wobbler + worm |
| Fall | 2 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (1 ft) | Small spoon (orange), Spinner |
| Winter | 3 to 20 ft | dawn | Deep basin (20 ft) | Small jigging spoon, Tungsten jig + plastic |
Early season largemouth bass use the shallows, holding in 2 to 10 ft. Summer is an 8 to 20 ft game here, winter a 7 to 24 ft one. The chart's best answer is Back-bay flat — weed flat, 2 ft, prime for spring. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Tie on a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Back-bay flat (2 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (1 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (1 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 7 to 24 ft | midday | Deep basin (20 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Come spring, look for rainbow trout tight to the bank in 5 to 20 ft. Expect a summer slide to 6 to 24 ft, then a winter hold in 5 to 24 ft. Start at Deep basin. It's a deep basin holding about 20 ft of water and rates prime come winter. Prime time lands in 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 (1 ft) | Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon |
| Summer | 6 to 24 ft | dawn & dusk | Deep basin (20 ft) | Dodger + spoon (deep troll), Flutter spoon |
| Fall | 7 to 24 ft | dawn & dusk | Deep basin (20 ft) | Casting spoon, Jerkbait over shoals |
| Winter | 5 to 24 ft | dawn | Deep basin (20 ft) | Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white) |
Spring puts yellow perch in skinny water — 3 to 12 ft is the zone. Warm water sends them out to 7 to 24 ft; cold water stacks them in 7 to 24 ft. Deep basin is the standout, a deep basin at roughly 20 ft, rated prime for fall yellow perch. Plan around early morning in the warm months. 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 | 7 to 24 ft | dawn | Deep basin (20 ft) | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 7 to 24 ft | midday | Deep basin (20 ft) | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 7 to 24 ft | midday & dawn | Deep basin (20 ft) | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Count 5 structure marks on this chart. The deepest, Deep basin, sits near 20 ft.
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 Jim Smith Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official British Columbia fishing regulations →
Jim Smith Lake is about 24 ft (7 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.
Anglers target brook trout, largemouth bass, rainbow trout, yellow perch on Jim Smith Lake.
Back-bay flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 2 ft of water that rates prime for largemouth bass in spring. The interactive chart above rates every spot for each species and season.
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.
Fishing on Jim Smith 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.
New Lake 2 mi · Kiakho Lakes 3 mi · Hiawatha Lake 7 mi · Monroe Lake 8 mi · Mineral Lake 9 mi · Moyie Lake 9 mi · Edith Lake 15 mi · Horseshoe Lake 16 mi · Haha Lake 17 mi · Norbury Lakes 17 mi · Norbury Lakes 17 mi · St. Mary Lake 18 mi
See how Jim Smith Lake stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in British Columbia · best rainbow trout lakes in British Columbia · best yellow perch lakes in British Columbia · best brook trout lakes in British Columbia
More water nearby: East Kootenay Regional District fishing maps (89 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.