Kamloops Lake Depth Map & Fishing Spots (BC)

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Lake depth chart

Kamloops Lake, BC

Max 495 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 on this water are approximations. Never use for navigation. Always check local regulations.

Depth · ft

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Recent catches at Kamloops Lake

Recent public catches load as you reach this section.

Fishing Kamloops Lake: what the data says

13,800-acre lake in Thompson-Nicola Regional District, British Columbia. The lake tops out around 495 ft. Depth here is modeled from the true shoreline and max depth rather than surveyed; use it to plan, not to navigate. Below is the species-by-species picture, pulled from the same data the map uses.

The drawn water covers 12,032 acres wrapped in 36.9 miles of bank. That shoreline is heavily fingered (development index 2.4) — bays, points and pockets everywhere, which multiplies the fishable edge. About 0% of the surface sits shallower than 15 ft on the modeled chart — that's the weed-and-bait zone. The basin spans about 14.7 mi end to end and 4 mi across at its widest. It sits in Thompson-Nicola Regional District. Its nearest charted neighbour, Pat Lake, is 2 mi to the southwest.

Burbot fishing at Kamloops Lake

Come spring, look for burbot tight to the bank in 25 to 70 ft. Expect a summer slide to 50 to 120 ft, then a winter hold in 15 to 60 ft. Start at Offshore hump. It's an offshore hump holding about 53 ft of water and rates prime come winter. Prime time lands in after dark and midday. A heavy jig + cut bait is the honest summer answer here.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	25 to 70 ft	night & dusk	Offshore hump (53 ft)	Glow jigging spoon + cut bait, Rattle bait (dark)
Summer	50 to 120 ft	night & midday	Offshore hump (53 ft)	Heavy jig + cut bait
Fall	30 to 80 ft	night & dusk	Offshore hump (53 ft)	Glow spoon + minnow head, Blade bait (slow)
Winter	15 to 60 ft	night & dusk	Offshore hump (53 ft)	Glow tungsten + cut bait, Rattle spoon + minnow head

Rainbow Trout fishing at Kamloops Lake

Early season rainbow trout use the shallows, holding in 5 to 20 ft. Expect a summer slide to 8 to 30 ft, then a winter hold in 8 to 40 ft. Put Creek inflow first on the milk run — an inflow / creek mouth near 8 ft that grades prime for spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Tie on a dodger + spoon (deep troll) or a flutter spoon and you're in the game.

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

Lake Whitefish fishing at Kamloops Lake

The spring pattern is a shallow one: lake whitefish in 15 to 45 ft. As the season builds they drop to 40 to 90 ft, wintering in 25 to 70 ft. Top water on the chart: Offshore hump, an offshore hump in the 53 ft range, prime in summer. Time it for early morning. Summer baits: a blade bait vertical or a small jigging spoon gets it done.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	15 to 45 ft	midday & dawn	Offshore hump (51 ft)	Small jig + waxworm, Blade bait (small)
Summer	40 to 90 ft	dawn	Offshore hump (53 ft)	Blade bait vertical, Small jigging spoon
Fall	8 to 30 ft	dusk	open water	Small spoon (gold), Jig + plastic larva
Winter	25 to 70 ft	midday & dawn	Offshore hump (53 ft)	Jigging spoon + bead chain, Tungsten jig + waxie

Notable structure

Kamloops Lake carries 16 mapped structure features, topping out (or rather bottoming out) at Deep basin, about 421 ft down.

Deep basin: deep basin, around 421 ft
Old creek channel: creek channel, around 248 ft
Break off the point: drop-off, around 223 ft
Sharp break: drop-off, around 166 ft
Sharp break: drop-off, around 162 ft
Main-lake point: point, around 124 ft
Secondary point: point, around 124 ft
Offshore hump: offshore hump, around 53 ft
Offshore hump: offshore hump, around 51 ft
Offshore hump: offshore hump, around 51 ft
Creek inflow: inflow / creek mouth, around 8 ft
Creek inflow: inflow / creek mouth, around 8 ft
Shallow bay flat: feeding flat, around 6 ft
Back-bay flat: feeding flat, around 6 ft

Public access & boat ramps

Boat launch — ramp
Savona Boat Launch — ramp

Access data: OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) — community-mapped launches. Confirm conditions and fees locally before you launch.

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

Check the official British Columbia fishing regulations →

Common questions

How deep is Kamloops Lake?

Kamloops Lake is about 495 ft (151 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 Kamloops Lake?

Anglers target burbot, rainbow trout, lake whitefish on Kamloops Lake.

Where is the best fishing spot on Kamloops Lake?

Offshore hump is the top-rated area: an offshore hump in about 53 ft of water that rates prime for burbot in winter. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.

When is the best time to fish Kamloops Lake?

For burbot, the summer bite is best in after dark and midday. 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 Kamloops Lake?

Fishing on Kamloops 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

Pat Lake 2 mi · Duffy Lake 7 mi · Fehr Lake 8 mi · Sabiston Lake 10 mi · Bull Lake 10 mi · Red Lake 10 mi · Andrus Lake 10 mi · Dynes Lake 11 mi · Leighton Lake 11 mi · Lac Du Bois 11 mi · Strachan Lake 11 mi · Sedge Lake 12 mi

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

More water nearby: Thompson-Nicola Regional District fishing maps (322 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.