Lake depth chart
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642-acre lake near Highland. The lake tops out around 180 ft. What you see is a modeled chart: the shoreline is real, the max depth is published, and the contours between are estimated. Plan with it; don't navigate by it. Species by species, here's what the data says the year looks like.
Traced from the shoreline, Loch Bad a Ghaill runs 640 acres with 7.2 miles of edge. Index 2 on the shoreline: a few honest points and pockets, nothing labyrinthine. Roughly 18% of the water is 15 ft or less as modeled, the band where the food chain lives. Call it 2.1 mi long by 0.9 mi wide at the broadest reach. You'll find it in Highland. Closest neighbour on DepthScout: Loch Osgaig, 2 mi northwest of here.
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 Main-lake point first on the milk run — a point near 45 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 | open water | Stickbait off planer boards (shallow), Small spoon along mud lines |
| Summer | 25 to 60 ft | night & dawn | Main-lake point (45 ft) | Spoon at the thermocline, Deep stickbait (night) |
| Fall | 5 to 30 ft | dusk & dawn | open water | 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 Shallow bay flat, a prime-rated feeding flat around 6 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 | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Small jig + curly tail, Inline spinner #1-2 |
| Summer | 8 to 28 ft | dawn | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small crankbait (perch pattern) |
| Fall | 10 to 33 ft | midday | open water | Jigging spoon (small), Drop-shot on deep flats |
| Winter | 12 to 33 ft | midday & dawn | open water | 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. Shallow bay flat is the standout, a feeding flat at roughly 6 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 | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | #5 inline spinner, Spoon (red/white) |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), Husky-style jerkbait |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft | midday | Shallow bay flat (6 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 Shallow bay flat. It's a feeding flat holding about 6 ft of water and rates good come spring. 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 | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Small casting spoon (silver/orange), Jerkbait (small) |
| Summer | 20 to 60 ft | dawn | open water | Jigging spoon vertical, Tube jig (smelt) |
| Fall | 8 to 30 ft | midday & dusk | open water | Casting spoon (orange/gold), Beadhead streamer |
| Winter | 10 to 40 ft | midday & dawn | open water | Jigging spoon (glow/silver), Tungsten jig + plastic |
Loch Bad a Ghaill carries 6 mapped structure features, topping out (or rather bottoming out) at Deep basin, about 153 ft down.
Loch Bad a Ghaill is about 180 ft (55 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.
Anglers target brown trout, european perch, northern pike, arctic char on Loch Bad a Ghaill. 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 feeding flat in about 6 ft of water that rates prime for european perch in spring. Every other rated spot, per species and season, is on the map above.
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 Osgaig 2 mi · Loch Lurgainn 3 mi · Loch Sionascaig 3 mi · Loch an Doire Dhuibh 4 mi · Loch na Creige Duibhe 5 mi · Lochanan Dubha 5 mi · Fionn Loch 6 mi · Loch Veyatie or Loch a Mhadail 7 mi · Lochan Fhionnlaidh 7 mi · Loch Culag 7 mi · Loch Druim Suardalain 8 mi · Loch na Gainimh 8 mi
See how Loch Bad a Ghaill 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. 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.