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138-acre lake near Highland. The lake tops out around 66 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 1903, digitized from the bathymetric atlas published in 1910. Species by species, here's what the data says the year looks like.
The drawn water covers 138 acres wrapped in 3 miles of bank. A middling shoreline index (1.8) gives it some bays to work without being a maze. The shallow band under 15 ft claims about 52% of the surface — that's where the groceries are. End to end it runs roughly 0.9 mi, about 0.6 mi across. It sits in Highland. If the bite dies, Loch Gamhna is 1 mi to the southwest.
Start shallow in spring: brown trout sit in 3 to 25 ft that time of year. Warm water sends them out to 25 to 60 ft; cold water stacks them in 5 to 35 ft. Top water on the chart: Break off the point, a drop-off in the 5 ft range, prime in winter. Fish it in after dark and early morning and you'll meet the bite. Throw a spoon at the thermocline or a deep stickbait (night) until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (11 ft) | Stickbait off planer boards (shallow), Small spoon along mud lines |
| Summer | 25 to 60 ft | night & dawn | Secondary point (30 ft) | Spoon at the thermocline, Deep stickbait (night) |
| Fall | 5 to 30 ft | dusk & dawn | Main-lake point (11 ft) | Jerkbait over gravel, Casting spoon |
| Winter | 5 to 35 ft | dawn | Break off the point (5 ft) | Jigging spoon, Small stickbait (slow) |
When the water first warms, european perch slide up into 3 to 12 ft. Summer is an 8 to 28 ft game here, winter a 12 to 33 ft one. Start at Shallow bay flat. It's a weed flat holding about 11 ft of water and rates prime come spring. The feeding windows run early morning. Keep a drop-shot micro plastics or a small crankbait (perch pattern) rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (11 ft) | Small jig + curly tail, Inline spinner #1-2 |
| Summer | 8 to 28 ft | dawn | Shallow bay flat (11 ft) | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small crankbait (perch pattern) |
| Fall | 10 to 33 ft | midday | Break off the point (5 ft) | Jigging spoon (small), Drop-shot on deep flats |
| Winter | 12 to 33 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (11 ft) | Tungsten jig + maggots, Small balance jig |
Spring northern pike on Loch an Eilein hold shallow, usually 2 to 8 ft. They move out to 8 to 20 ft in summer and finish the year down in 5 to 15 ft. Put Back-bay flat first on the milk run — a weed flat near 2 ft that grades prime for spring. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a bucktail or a weedless spoon over cabbage.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Back-bay flat (2 ft) | #5 inline spinner, Spoon (red/white) |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (11 ft) | Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (11 ft) | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), Husky-style jerkbait |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft | midday | Shallow bay flat (11 ft) | Tip-ups, Large jigging spoon |
Spring puts arctic char in skinny water — 4 to 15 ft is the zone. As the season builds they drop to 20 to 60 ft, wintering in 10 to 40 ft. Summer arctic char concentrate at Deep basin, a prime-rated deep basin around 66 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning. A jigging spoon vertical or a tube jig (smelt) covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Break off the point (5 ft) | Small casting spoon (silver/orange), Jerkbait (small) |
| Summer | 20 to 60 ft | dawn | Deep basin (66 ft) | Jigging spoon vertical, Tube jig (smelt) |
| Fall | 8 to 30 ft | midday & dusk | Break off the point (5 ft) | Casting spoon (orange/gold), Beadhead streamer |
| Winter | 10 to 40 ft | midday & dawn | Break off the point (5 ft) | Jigging spoon (glow/silver), Tungsten jig + plastic |
Structure-wise the chart holds 6 features, led in depth by Deep basin at roughly 66 ft.
Loch an Eilein is about 66 ft (20 m) deep at its deepest point. The depth data here comes from Murray & Pullar's Scottish loch survey of 1903, digitized from the bathymetric atlas published in 1910.
Anglers target brown trout, european perch, northern pike, arctic char on Loch an Eilein. 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 11 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 Gamhna 1 mi · Loch Alvie 2 mi · Loch Pityoulish 4 mi · Loch Morlich 4 mi · Loch Insh 5 mi · Lochan Uaine 9 mi · Loch an t-Seilich 16 mi · Loch Cuaich 18 mi · Loch Bhrodainn 18 mi · Loch Moy 18 mi · Lochindorb 18 mi · Loch Builg 18 mi
See how Loch an Eilein 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.