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Rating depth structure for rainbow trout.
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1,610-acre lake in Bulkley-Nechako Regional District, British Columbia. The lake tops out around 82 ft. The chart is a model: real shoreline, published maximum depth, interpolated in between. A planning tool, never a navigation product. Species by species, here's what the data says the year looks like.
Drawn out, this is 1,610 acres of water rimmed by 10.9 miles of bank, with a single island in the mix. Index 1.9 on the shoreline: a few honest points and pockets, nothing labyrinthine. About 10% of the surface sits shallower than 15 ft on the modeled chart — that's the weed-and-bait zone. End to end it runs roughly 3.6 mi, about 1.2 mi across. The water lies in Bulkley-Nechako Regional District. The nearest mapped water is Bulkley Lake, 6 mi to the north.
Start shallow in spring: burbot sit in 25 to 70 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 25 to 82 ft, and winter fish settle into 15 to 60 ft. The spot to know is Deep basin, a deep basin in about 70 ft of water that rates prime for burbot in spring. Warm-month bites cluster around after dark and midday. Throw a heavy jig + cut bait until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 25 to 70 ft | night & dusk | Deep basin (70 ft) | Glow jigging spoon + cut bait, Rattle bait (dark) |
| Summer | 25 to 82 ft | night & midday | Deep basin (70 ft) | Heavy jig + cut bait |
| Fall | 30 to 80 ft | night & dusk | Deep basin (70 ft) | Glow spoon + minnow head, Blade bait (slow) |
| Winter | 15 to 60 ft | night & dusk | Break off the point (37 ft) | Glow tungsten + cut bait, Rattle spoon + minnow head |
Start shallow in spring: lake trout sit in 10 to 40 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 25 to 82 ft, and winter fish settle into 20 to 80 ft. The spot to know is Deep basin, a deep basin in about 70 ft of water that rates prime for lake trout in summer. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning. Throw a white tube jig (deep) or a magnum spoon on downrigger until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 10 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (21 ft) | Casting spoon over shoals, Jerkbait (shallow) |
| Summer | 25 to 82 ft | dawn | Deep basin (70 ft) | White tube jig (deep), Magnum spoon on downrigger |
| Fall | 10 to 50 ft | dusk & dawn | Main-lake point (21 ft) | Heavy casting spoon, Jigging rap over reefs |
| Winter | 20 to 80 ft | dawn | Deep basin (70 ft) | White tube jig, Airplane jig |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: rainbow trout in 5 to 20 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 8 to 30 ft before dropping to 8 to 40 ft for winter. The spot to know is Break off the point, a drop-off in about 37 ft of water that rates prime for rainbow trout in winter. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Summer baits: a dodger + spoon (deep troll) or a flutter spoon gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (21 ft) | Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon |
| Summer | 8 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (21 ft) | Dodger + spoon (deep troll), Flutter spoon |
| Fall | 10 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (21 ft) | Casting spoon, Jerkbait over shoals |
| Winter | 8 to 40 ft | dawn | Break off the point (37 ft) | Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white) |
When the water first warms, lake whitefish slide up into 15 to 45 ft. By summer they slide out to 25 to 82 ft, and by winter most fish are in 25 to 70 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Deep basin: a deep basin around 70 ft that scores prime in summer. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning. Keep a blade bait vertical or a small jigging spoon rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 15 to 45 ft | midday & dawn | Break off the point (37 ft) | Small jig + waxworm, Blade bait (small) |
| Summer | 25 to 82 ft | dawn | Deep basin (70 ft) | Blade bait vertical, Small jigging spoon |
| Fall | 8 to 30 ft | dusk | Main-lake point (21 ft) | Small spoon (gold), Jig + plastic larva |
| Winter | 25 to 70 ft | midday & dawn | Deep basin (70 ft) | Jigging spoon + bead chain, Tungsten jig + waxie |
6 pieces of structure are mapped here — Deep basin, around 70 ft, is the deepest of them.
Access data: British Columbia Recreation Sites and Trails - Recreation Sites Subset. Confirm conditions and fees locally before you launch.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for British Columbia waters are set by the BC freshwater fishing synopsis — and special regulations can apply to Maxan Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official British Columbia fishing regulations →
Maxan Lake is about 82 ft (25 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 burbot, lake trout, rainbow trout, lake whitefish on Maxan Lake.
Deep basin is the top-rated area: a deep basin in about 70 ft of water that rates prime for burbot in spring. Scroll up to the map for the complete spot list by species and season.
For burbot, the summer bite is best in after dark and midday. Each species page section below lists the seasonal windows, and the map shows a live NOW badge when you're inside one.
Fishing on Maxan Lake is regulated by the BC freshwater fishing synopsis. Check the official British Columbia regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
Bulkley Lake 6 mi · Old Woman Lake 8 mi · Day Lake 9 mi · Decker Lake 10 mi · Lu Lake 11 mi · Elwin Lake 12 mi · Goosly Lake 14 mi · Nellian Lake 15 mi · Anders Lake 15 mi · Guyishton Lake 16 mi · Division Lake 17 mi · Sunset Lake 17 mi
See how Maxan Lake stacks up: best rainbow trout lakes in British Columbia · best lake trout lakes in British Columbia · best lake whitefish lakes in British Columbia · best burbot lakes in British Columbia
More water nearby: Bulkley-Nechako Regional District fishing maps (324 charts). Browse all British Columbia fishing maps or 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.