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Fishing John Hart Lake: what the data says
778-acre lake in British Columbia. The lake tops out around 75 ft. Depth here is modeled from the true shoreline and max depth rather than surveyed; use it to plan, not to navigate. Here's the year, species by species, as the scoring engine sees it.
Traced from the shoreline, John Hart Lake runs 777 acres with 12.8 miles of edge. That shoreline is heavily fingered (development index 3.3) — bays, points and pockets everywhere, which multiplies the fishable edge. Roughly 19% of the water is 15 ft or less as modeled, the band where the food chain lives.
Coho Salmon fishing at John Hart Lake
Spring puts coho salmon in skinny water — 3 to 25 ft is the zone. As the season builds they drop to 30 to 70 ft, wintering in 20 to 60 ft. Summer coho salmon concentrate at Deep basin, a prime-rated deep basin around 64 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. A dodger + fly or a medium spoon above the thermocline covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (19 ft) | Small orange dodger + peanut fly, Thin spoon (orange/silver) |
| Summer | 30 to 70 ft | dawn & dusk | Deep basin (64 ft) | Dodger + fly, Medium spoon above the thermocline |
| Fall | 8 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (19 ft) | Casting spoon, Spinner (chartreuse) |
| Winter | 20 to 60 ft | midday | Deep basin (64 ft) | Small spoon, slow troll |
Cutthroat Trout fishing at John Hart Lake
Spring cutthroat trout on John Hart Lake hold shallow, usually 3 to 15 ft. They move out to 10 to 35 ft in summer and finish the year down in 10 to 40 ft. Put Main-lake point first on the milk run — a point near 19 ft that grades prime for fall. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a trolled spoon (small) or a inline spinner.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (19 ft) | Inline spinner (silver/gold), Small spoon |
| Summer | 10 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (19 ft) | Trolled spoon (small), Inline spinner |
| Fall | 5 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (19 ft) | Casting spoon, Inline spinner |
| Winter | 10 to 40 ft | dawn | Main-lake point (19 ft) | Small jigging spoon, Marabou jig |
Kokanee fishing at John Hart Lake
The spring pattern is a shallow one: kokanee in 10 to 30 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 30 to 70 ft before dropping to 19 to 75 ft for winter. The spot to know is Deep basin, a deep basin in about 64 ft of water that rates prime for kokanee in summer. Plan around early morning in the warm months. Summer baits: a dodger + pink/orange squid on downrigger or a kokanee bug + corn gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 10 to 30 ft | dawn | Deep basin (64 ft) | Small dodger + squid (pink), Wedding-ring spinner + corn |
| Summer | 30 to 70 ft | dawn | Deep basin (64 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 | 19 to 75 ft | dawn | Deep basin (64 ft) | Small glow jig + corn or maggot, Tiny spoon |
Rainbow Trout fishing at John Hart Lake
Start shallow in spring: rainbow trout sit in 5 to 20 ft that time of year. Warm water sends them out to 8 to 30 ft; cold water stacks them in 8 to 40 ft. Top water on the chart: Main-lake point, a point in the 19-ft range, prime in spring. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. Throw a dodger + spoon (deep troll) or a flutter spoon until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (19 ft) | Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon |
| Summer | 8 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (19 ft) | Dodger + spoon (deep troll), Flutter spoon |
| Fall | 10 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (19 ft) | Casting spoon, Jerkbait over shoals |
| Winter | 8 to 40 ft | dawn | open water | Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white) |
Notable structure
- Deep basin: deep basin, around 64 ft
- Main-lake point: point, around 19 ft
- Secondary point: point, around 19 ft
- Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 6 ft
- Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 6 ft
John Hart 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 John Hart Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official British Columbia fishing regulations →
Common questions
How deep is John Hart Lake?
John Hart Lake is about 75 ft (23 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 John Hart Lake?
Anglers target rainbow trout, coho salmon, kokanee, cutthroat trout on John Hart Lake.
Where is the best fishing spot on John Hart Lake?
Deep basin is the top-rated area: a deep basin in about 64 ft of water that rates prime for coho salmon in summer. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
When is the best time to fish John Hart Lake?
For coho salmon, 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 John Hart Lake?
Fishing on John Hart 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
Echo Lake 4 mi · Mirror Lake 4 mi · Campbell Lake 5 mi · Mary Lake 5 mi · Gosling Lake 6 mi · Lawier Lake 7 mi · Quinsam Lake 7 mi · Boot Lake 7 mi · Beavertail Lake 7 mi · Morton Lake 7 mi · Snakehead Lake 8 mi · Mohun Lake 8 mi
See how John Hart Lake stacks up: best rainbow trout lakes in British Columbia · best coho salmon lakes in British Columbia · best kokanee lakes in British Columbia · best cutthroat trout lakes in British Columbia
Browse all British Columbia fishing maps or see every water on DepthScout. How we build these maps. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.