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3,939-acre lake near Highland. The lake tops out around 359 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. Species by species, here's what the data says the year looks like.
Traced from the shoreline, Loch Arkaig runs 3,930 acres with 27.6 miles of edge. That shoreline is heavily fingered (development index 3.1) — bays, points and pockets everywhere, which multiplies the fishable edge. Roughly 18% of the water is 15 ft or less, the band where the food chain lives. Tip to tip the water measures near 11.7 mi with a 1.5-mi widest point. You'll find it in Highland. The nearest mapped water is Loch Lochy, 6 mi to the east.
Early season brown trout use the shallows, holding in 3 to 25 ft. Expect a summer slide to 25 to 60 ft, then a winter hold in 5 to 35 ft. Put Offshore hump first on the milk run — an offshore hump near 59 ft that grades prime for summer. In summer the feeding windows fall in after dark and early morning. Tie on a spoon at the thermocline or a deep stickbait (night) and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (1 ft) | Stickbait off planer boards (shallow), Small spoon along mud lines |
| Summer | 25 to 60 ft | night & dawn | Offshore hump (59 ft) | Spoon at the thermocline, Deep stickbait (night) |
| Fall | 5 to 30 ft | dusk & dawn | Main-lake point (1 ft) | Jerkbait over gravel, Casting spoon |
| Winter | 5 to 35 ft | dawn | open water | Jigging spoon, Small stickbait (slow) |
Spring puts european perch in skinny water — 3 to 12 ft is the zone. As the season builds they drop to 8 to 28 ft, wintering in 12 to 33 ft. Spring european perch concentrate at Back-bay flat, a prime-rated weed flat around 3 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning. A drop-shot micro plastics or a small crankbait (perch pattern) covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Back-bay flat (3 ft) | Small jig + curly tail, Inline spinner #1-2 |
| Summer | 8 to 28 ft | dawn | Offshore hump (22 ft) | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small crankbait (perch pattern) |
| Fall | 10 to 33 ft | midday | Offshore hump (22 ft) | Jigging spoon (small), Drop-shot on deep flats |
| Winter | 12 to 33 ft | midday & dawn | Offshore hump (22 ft) | Tungsten jig + maggots, Small balance jig |
Spring puts northern pike in skinny water — 2 to 8 ft is the zone. Warm water sends them out to 8 to 20 ft; cold water stacks them in 5 to 15 ft. Back-bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 3 ft, rated prime for spring northern pike. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. A bucktail or a weedless spoon over cabbage covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Back-bay flat (3 ft) | #5 inline spinner, Spoon (red/white) |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Back-bay flat (3 ft) | Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday & dawn | Back-bay flat (3 ft) | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), Husky-style jerkbait |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft | midday | Back-bay flat (3 ft) | Tip-ups, Large jigging spoon |
When the water first warms, arctic char slide up into 4 to 15 ft. Summer is a 20 to 60 ft game here, winter a 10 to 40 ft one. Start at Offshore hump. It's an offshore hump holding about 22 ft of water and rates prime come summer. The feeding windows run early morning. Keep a jigging spoon vertical or a tube jig (smelt) rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | open water | Small casting spoon (silver/orange), Jerkbait (small) |
| Summer | 20 to 60 ft | dawn | Offshore hump (22 ft) | Jigging spoon vertical, Tube jig (smelt) |
| Fall | 8 to 30 ft | midday & dusk | Offshore hump (22 ft) | Casting spoon (orange/gold), Beadhead streamer |
| Winter | 10 to 40 ft | midday & dawn | Offshore hump (22 ft) | Jigging spoon (glow/silver), Tungsten jig + plastic |
Loch Arkaig carries 13 mapped structure features, topping out (or rather bottoming out) at Deep basin, about 354 ft down.
Loch Arkaig is about 359 ft (109 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 Arkaig. 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.
Back-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 map above holds the full rated-spot list for every 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 Lochy 6 mi · Lochan Bad an Losguinn 9 mi · Loch Garry 9 mi · Loch Loyne 10 mi · Loch Quoich 11 mi · Loch Cluanie 13 mi · Loch a Bhainne 13 mi · Loch Lundie 13 mi · Loch Oich 13 mi · Loch Sgurr an Lochain 15 mi · An Dubh Lochan 15 mi · Lochan Lùnn Dà - Bhrà 15 mi
See how Loch Arkaig 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.