Lake depth chart
Today's read
Recent public catches load as you reach this section.
143-acre lake near Highland. The lake tops out around 56 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.
Drawn out, this is 143 acres of water rimmed by 4.8 miles of bank. A development index of 2.9 means a maze of bays and points: far more casting targets than a round bowl of the same size. Roughly 63% of the water is 15 ft or less as modeled, the band where the food chain lives. Tip to tip the water measures near 1.5 mi with a 0.5-mi widest point. You'll find it in Highland. The nearest mapped water is Loch a Bhaid-luachraich, 2 mi to the west.
Early season brown trout use the shallows, holding in 3 to 25 ft. Expect a summer slide to 17 to 56 ft, then a winter hold in 5 to 35 ft. Put Break off the point first on the milk run — a drop-off near 25 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.
Depth note: when a documented seasonal range extends below this chart, the table shows the deepest mapped working water, not a verified holding depth.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (14 ft) | Stickbait off planer boards (shallow), Small spoon along mud lines |
| Summer | 17 to 56 ft chart-limited; documented 25 to 60 ft | night & dawn | Break off the point (25 ft) | Spoon at the thermocline, Deep stickbait (night) |
| Fall | 5 to 30 ft | dusk & dawn | Main-lake point (14 ft) | Jerkbait over gravel, Casting spoon |
| Winter | 5 to 35 ft | dawn | Break off the point (25 ft) | 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 weed 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 | Break off the point (25 ft) | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small crankbait (perch pattern) |
| Fall | 10 to 33 ft | midday | Break off the point (25 ft) | Jigging spoon (small), Drop-shot on deep flats |
| Winter | 12 to 33 ft | midday & dawn | Break off the point (25 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. Shallow bay flat is the standout, a weed 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 17 to 56 ft game here, winter a 10 to 40 ft one. Start at Deep basin. It's a deep basin holding about 48 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.
Depth note: when a documented seasonal range extends below this chart, the table shows the deepest mapped working water, not a verified holding depth.
| 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 | 17 to 56 ft chart-limited; documented 20 to 60 ft | dawn | Deep basin (48 ft) | Jigging spoon vertical, Tube jig (smelt) |
| Fall | 8 to 30 ft | midday & dusk | Break off the point (25 ft) | Casting spoon (orange/gold), Beadhead streamer |
| Winter | 10 to 40 ft | midday & dawn | Break off the point (25 ft) | Jigging spoon (glow/silver), Tungsten jig + plastic |
Loch Fada carries 6 mapped structure features, topping out (or rather bottoming out) at Deep basin, about 48 ft down.
Loch Fada is about 56 ft (17 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 Fada. 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 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 a Bhaid-luachraich 2 mi · Loch na Mòine Buige 2 mi · Loch Ghiuragarstidh 4 mi · Loch Kernsary or Loch na h-Airde Bige 4 mi · Fionn Loch or Dubh Loch 4 mi · Loch na Béiste 5 mi · Loch an t-Slagain 6 mi · Loch Sguod 7 mi · Loch Tollaidh 7 mi · Loch na Sealga 7 mi · Loch Dubh Camas an Lochain 7 mi · Lochan on Eilean Subhainn 9 mi
See how Loch Fada 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.