Mccauley Lake Depth Map & Fishing Spots (BC)

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Lake depth chart

Mccauley Lake, BC

Max 166 ft

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Where to start

Chironomids (stillwater midges) window is on — see the hatch outlook

Hatch outlook

Chironomids (stillwater midges)Active window

Typical here: Sep 1 – Oct 31 · the smaller fall second season — hatches continue on mild afternoons

nymphearly morning, start of the day — fish the bloodworm ON the bottom — 4–6 inches off the mud before the emergence starts
pupathe cool morning hours are prime — as the emergence builds, slide the pupa up to 12–15 inches off bottom under the indicator; a little wind chop does the jigging

Concentrates by DEPTH BAND and mud type, not a fixed spot: roughly 20–25 ft in spring, deeper midsummer, in against the feeder creeks in summer heat, 5–25 ft in fall. Match the band.

This one translates almost perfectly: a slip float with a 1/64–1/100 oz midge-pattern jig set 4–15 inches off bottom over a mud flat, dead-sticked with the chop doing the work. Depth control is everything — no moving lure imitates a hanging pupa; the float rig IS the technique.

The event happens over open mud flats alongside weedlines, channels and basin edges; feeder-creek mouths in summer heat

Water boatman fall flightsActive window

Typical here: Sep 1 – Oct 31 · fall mating flights on calm sunny days — 'raindrops hitting the water'; a smaller spring flight is documented right after ice-off

adultmiddday-ish on calm, sunny fall days — the fishable moment is the splashdown: boatmen dive in headfirst trailing an air bubble and make repeated trips back to the surface — a fly or lure that dives nose-first on the drop imitates exactly this

Takes are seldom subtle — trout ravage boatmen as they hit the water and during their subsurface runs.

Tailor-made for hardware: a small 1/16 oz silver-bellied spoon or jig cast AT the rings of a splashdown sinks headfirst exactly like the natural — twitch-pause it back through the top few feet. On flight days fan-cast the shallow weed margins.

The event happens over near-shore shallows, weed beds and shoal margins on calm sunny fall afternoons

Scuds (Gammarus shrimp)Active window

Typical here: Jan 1 – Dec 31 · year-round — the biomass behind the Kamloops fishery's growth rates; most important early spring and again in fall as dying weed cover exposes them

adultall day, year-round — best when weed cover is thin (early spring, late fall) — quick 1-inch 'shrimpy' strips along the weed beds and marl; in fall a subtle slow retrieve just off the bottom

Not an event — the pantry. Scud water is why these lakes grow big rainbows; fish them when nothing is hatching.

No hardware imitates a half-inch freshwater shrimp well — this is a jig game: a small olive/tan micro-jig under a slip float worked along the weed edges, or fished just off bottom in fall. Otherwise treat scud water as the signal that the lake grows big fish.

The event happens over weed beds, chara and marl flats and shoal-zone debris in calcium-rich lakes

Leeches (stillwater staple)Active window

Typical here: Jan 1 – Dec 31 · year-round — the go-to at ice-off before the chironomids start, and again through fall

adultany hour; low light and the cool ends of the season fish best — slow steady hand-twist or 2–3 inch pulls — in fall a slow steady pull outfishes a fast strip — or hang a balanced leech under an indicator

Baseline food, not an event — the honest 'nothing is hatching' answer on every interior lake, bracketing the season at ice-off and late fall.

The most spin-friendly item on the menu, with agency-documented tactics: slow-troll a Worden's Triple Teazer or Panther Martin along the drop-offs (the BC agency's own recommendation), or fish a black or olive marabou jig under a slip float over the shoal edge.

The event happens over shoal-zone vegetation, woody debris and rock, sliding to the drop-offs by day

Next on this water

Callibaetis (Speckled Dun) · mayflyApr 15 – Jul 31 · in ~6 months

Damselfly migration · forageJun 1 – Jul 31 · in ~8 months

Traveling sedge (giant lake caddis) · caddisJun 10 – Aug 15 · in ~8 months

Recommendations come from depth structure and seasonal species behavior. Treat them as a starting point, not a guarantee. Contours on this water are approximations. Never use for navigation. Always check local regulations.

Depth · ft

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Recent catches at Mccauley Lake

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Fishing Mccauley Lake: what the data says

280-acre lake in British Columbia. The lake tops out around 166 ft. The contours come from a model of the real basin shape and its known max depth. Read them as probabilities, not soundings, and keep them out of navigation decisions. Every species below gets its seasonal read from the same numbers driving the chart.

Traced from the shoreline, Mccauley Lake runs 280 acres with 5.8 miles of edge. With a shoreline index of 2.5, this water is all arms and coves — edge habitat well beyond its acreage. 23% of the surface is littoral (under ~15 ft), per the model — cover, weeds and forage water. Tip to tip the water measures near 2 mi with a 0.5-mi widest point. You'll find it in Cariboo Regional District. The nearest mapped water is Prouton Lakes, 3 mi to the northwest.

Rainbow Trout fishing at Mccauley Lake

The spring pattern is a shallow one: rainbow trout in 5 to 20 ft. As the season builds they drop to 8 to 30 ft, wintering in 8 to 40 ft. Top water on the chart: Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in the 6 ft range, good in spring. Time it for early morning and the evening. 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	Shallow bay flat (6 ft)	Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon
Summer	8 to 30 ft	dawn & dusk	Shallow bay flat (6 ft)	Dodger + spoon (deep troll), Flutter spoon
Fall	10 to 35 ft	dawn & dusk	Main-lake point (42 ft)	Casting spoon, Jerkbait over shoals
Winter	8 to 40 ft	dawn	open water	Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white)

Kokanee fishing at Mccauley Lake

Start shallow in spring: kokanee sit in 10 to 30 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 30 to 70 ft, and winter fish settle into 20 to 80 ft. The spot to know is Break off the point, a drop-off in about 75 ft of water that rates good for kokanee in winter. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning. Throw a dodger + pink/orange squid on downrigger or a kokanee bug + corn until the fish tell you otherwise.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	10 to 30 ft	dawn	open water	Small dodger + squid (pink), Wedding-ring spinner + corn
Summer	30 to 70 ft	dawn	Break off the point (75 ft)	Dodger + pink/orange squid on downrigger, Kokanee bug + corn
Fall	5 to 40 ft	dawn	open water	Dodger + squid (deeper red/purple), Small spoon
Winter	20 to 80 ft	dawn	Break off the point (75 ft)	Small glow jig + corn or maggot, Tiny spoon

Lake Whitefish fishing at Mccauley Lake

When the water first warms, lake whitefish slide up into 15 to 45 ft. Summer is a 40 to 90 ft game here, winter a 25 to 70 ft one. Start at Break off the point. It's a drop-off holding about 75 ft of water and rates prime come summer. The feeding windows run 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	open water	Small jig + waxworm, Blade bait (small)
Summer	40 to 90 ft	dawn	Break off the point (75 ft)	Blade bait vertical, Small jigging spoon
Fall	8 to 30 ft	dusk	open water	Small spoon (gold), Jig + plastic larva
Winter	25 to 70 ft	midday & dawn	Break off the point (75 ft)	Jigging spoon + bead chain, Tungsten jig + waxie

Burbot fishing at Mccauley Lake

Start shallow in spring: burbot sit in 25 to 70 ft that time of year. Warm water sends them out to 50 to 120 ft; cold water stacks them in 15 to 60 ft. Top water on the chart: Break off the point, a drop-off in the 75 ft range, prime in fall. Fish it in after dark and midday and you'll meet the bite. 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	Break off the point (75 ft)	Glow jigging spoon + cut bait, Rattle bait (dark)
Summer	50 to 120 ft	night & midday	Deep basin (141 ft)	Heavy jig + cut bait
Fall	30 to 80 ft	night & dusk	Break off the point (75 ft)	Glow spoon + minnow head, Blade bait (slow)
Winter	15 to 60 ft	night & dusk	Break off the point (75 ft)	Glow tungsten + cut bait, Rattle spoon + minnow head

Notable structure

Structure-wise the chart holds 6 features, led in depth by Deep basin at roughly 141 ft.

Deep basin: deep basin, around 141 ft
Break off the point: drop-off, around 75 ft
Main-lake point: point, around 42 ft
Secondary point: point, around 42 ft
Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 6 ft
Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 6 ft

Mccauley Lake fishing regulations

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 Mccauley Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.

Check the official British Columbia fishing regulations →

Common questions

How deep is Mccauley Lake?

Mccauley Lake is about 166 ft (51 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.

What fish are in Mccauley Lake?

Anglers target rainbow trout, kokanee, lake whitefish, burbot on Mccauley Lake. 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.

Where is the best fishing spot on Mccauley Lake?

Break off the point is the top-rated area: a drop-off in about 75 ft of water that rates prime for lake whitefish in summer. Every other rated spot, per species and season, is on the map above.

When is the best time to fish Mccauley Lake?

For rainbow trout, the summer bite is best in early morning and the evening. Each species page section below lists the seasonal windows, and the map shows a live NOW badge when you're inside one.

What are the fishing regulations for Mccauley Lake?

Fishing on Mccauley 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.

Nearby waters

Prouton Lakes 3 mi · Robert Lake 3 mi · Baillon Lake 3 mi · Lake George 4 mi · Prouton Lakes 4 mi · Fire Lake 5 mi · Beveridge Lake 6 mi · Edney Lake 6 mi · Dorsey Lake 6 mi · Gavin Lake 7 mi · Big Lake 7 mi · Antoine Lake 7 mi

See how Mccauley Lake stacks up: best rainbow trout lakes in British Columbia · best kokanee lakes in British Columbia · best lake whitefish lakes in British Columbia · best burbot lakes in British Columbia

More water nearby: Cariboo Regional District fishing maps (445 charts). Browse all British Columbia 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.