Lake depth chart
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144-acre lake near Highland. The lake tops out around 70 ft. The depth chart comes from published agency bathymetric survey data, so the contours are survey-derived rather than computer-modeled. The depth data here comes from Murray & Pullar's Scottish loch survey of 1902, digitized from the bathymetric atlas published in 1910. Here is how the season plays out for each species, straight from the data behind the map.
Drawn out, this is 144 acres of water rimmed by 2.7 miles of bank. The shoreline is moderately structured (index 1.6) — enough points and pockets to pattern. Roughly 38% of the water is 15 ft or less, the band where the food chain lives. End to end it runs roughly 0.9 mi, about 0.5 mi across. You'll find it in Highland. The nearest mapped water is Loch an Eilein, 2 mi to the southeast.
When the water first warms, brown trout slide up into 3 to 25 ft. By summer they slide out to 25 to 60 ft, and by winter most fish are in 5 to 35 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Break off the point: a drop-off around 14 ft that scores prime in winter. In summer the feeding windows fall in after dark and early morning. Keep a spoon at the thermocline or a deep stickbait (night) rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (4 ft) | Stickbait off planer boards (shallow), Small spoon along mud lines |
| Summer | 25 to 60 ft | night & dawn | Break off the point (14 ft) | Spoon at the thermocline, Deep stickbait (night) |
| Fall | 5 to 30 ft | dusk & dawn | Secondary point (16 ft) | Jerkbait over gravel, Casting spoon |
| Winter | 5 to 35 ft | dawn | Break off the point (14 ft) | Jigging spoon, Small stickbait (slow) |
Start shallow in spring: european perch sit in 3 to 12 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 8 to 28 ft, and winter fish settle into 12 to 33 ft. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in about 3 ft of water that rates prime for european perch in spring. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning. Throw a drop-shot micro plastics or a small crankbait (perch pattern) until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Small jig + curly tail, Inline spinner #1-2 |
| Summer | 8 to 28 ft | dawn | Break off the point (14 ft) | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small crankbait (perch pattern) |
| Fall | 10 to 33 ft | midday | Break off the point (14 ft) | Jigging spoon (small), Drop-shot on deep flats |
| Winter | 12 to 33 ft | midday & dawn | Break off the point (14 ft) | Tungsten jig + maggots, Small balance jig |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: northern pike in 2 to 8 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 8 to 20 ft before dropping to 5 to 15 ft for winter. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in about 3 ft of water that rates prime for northern pike in spring. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Summer baits: a bucktail or a weedless spoon over cabbage gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | #5 inline spinner, Spoon (red/white) |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (14 ft) | Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday & dawn | Break off the point (14 ft) | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), Husky-style jerkbait |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft | midday | Back-bay flat (5 ft) | Tip-ups, Large jigging spoon |
Spring arctic char on Loch Alvie hold shallow, usually 4 to 15 ft. They move out to 20 to 60 ft in summer and finish the year down in 10 to 40 ft. Put Break off the point first on the milk run — a drop-off near 14 ft that grades prime for spring. The feeding windows run early morning. The summer box starts with a jigging spoon vertical or a tube jig (smelt).
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Break off the point (14 ft) | Small casting spoon (silver/orange), Jerkbait (small) |
| Summer | 20 to 60 ft | dawn | Deep basin (70 ft) | Jigging spoon vertical, Tube jig (smelt) |
| Fall | 8 to 30 ft | midday & dusk | Break off the point (14 ft) | Casting spoon (orange/gold), Beadhead streamer |
| Winter | 10 to 40 ft | midday & dawn | Break off the point (14 ft) | Jigging spoon (glow/silver), Tungsten jig + plastic |
6 pieces of structure are mapped here — Deep basin, around 70 ft, is the deepest of them.
Loch Alvie is about 70 ft (21 m) deep at its deepest point. The depth data here comes from Murray & Pullar's Scottish loch survey of 1902, digitized from the bathymetric atlas published in 1910.
Anglers target brown trout, european perch, northern pike, arctic char on Loch Alvie. This isn't a survey of the water — none is published for it — but an informed estimate from the species common to the region, narrowed by this water's depth, size and each species' range.
Shallow bay flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 3 ft of water that rates prime for european perch in spring. The interactive chart above rates every spot for each species and season.
For brown trout, the summer bite is best in after dark and early morning. Each species page section below lists the seasonal windows, and the map shows a live NOW badge when you're inside one.
Loch an Eilein 2 mi · Loch Gamhna 2 mi · Loch Insh 4 mi · Loch Pityoulish 4 mi · Loch Morlich 6 mi · Lochan Uaine 11 mi · Loch an t-Seilich 16 mi · Loch Moy 16 mi · Loch Cuaich 17 mi · Lochindorb 18 mi · Loch Bhrodainn 18 mi · Loch Ruthven 19 mi
See how Loch Alvie stacks up: best northern pike lakes in United Kingdom · best european perch lakes in United Kingdom · best brown trout lakes in United Kingdom · best arctic char lakes in United Kingdom
More water nearby: Highland fishing maps (242 charts). Browse all United Kingdom fishing maps. 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.