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Rating depth structure for rainbow trout.
Recent public catches load as you reach this section.
7-acre lake in Nanaimo Regional District, British Columbia. The lake tops out around 28 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. What the data behind the map says about each species, season by season:
Drawn out, this is 7 acres of water rimmed by 0.6 miles of bank. Index 1.6 on the shoreline: a few honest points and pockets, nothing labyrinthine. Roughly 53% of the water is 15 ft or less as modeled, the band where the food chain lives. The water lies in Nanaimo Regional District. The nearest mapped water is Timberland Lake, 1 mi to the southeast.
Spring cutthroat trout on Mckay Lake hold shallow, usually 3 to 15 ft. They move out to 8 to 28 ft in summer and finish the year down in 7 to 28 ft. Put Break off the point first on the milk run — a drop-off near 13 ft that grades prime for summer. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a trolled spoon (small) or an inline spinner.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (8 ft) | Inline spinner (silver/gold), Small spoon |
| Summer | 8 to 28 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (13 ft) | Trolled spoon (small), Inline spinner |
| Fall | 5 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (8 ft) | Casting spoon, Inline spinner |
| Winter | 7 to 28 ft | dawn | Break off the point (13 ft) | Small jigging spoon, Marabou jig |
Start shallow in spring: rainbow trout sit in 5 to 20 ft that time of year. Warm water sends them out to 7 to 28 ft; cold water stacks them in 6 to 28 ft. Top water on the chart: Break off the point, a drop-off in the 13 ft range, prime in winter. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. Throw a dodger + spoon (deep troll) or a flutter spoon until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (8 ft) | Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon |
| Summer | 7 to 28 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (13 ft) | Dodger + spoon (deep troll), Flutter spoon |
| Fall | 8 to 28 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (8 ft) | Casting spoon, Jerkbait over shoals |
| Winter | 6 to 28 ft | dawn | Break off the point (13 ft) | Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white) |
Mckay Lake carries 3 mapped structure features, topping out (or rather bottoming out) at Deep basin, about 24 ft down.
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 Mckay Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official British Columbia fishing regulations →
Mckay Lake is about 28 ft (9 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 cutthroat trout, rainbow trout on Mckay Lake.
Break off the point is the top-rated area: a drop-off in about 13 ft of water that rates prime for cutthroat trout in summer. The interactive chart above rates every spot for each species and season.
For cutthroat 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.
Fishing on Mckay 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.
Timberland Lake 1 mi · Blind Lake 2 mi · Beck Lake 4 mi · Barsby Lake 5 mi · Quennell Lake 7 mi · Holden Lake 7 mi · Lucid Lake 7 mi · Michael Lake 7 mi · Westwood Lake 7 mi · Greenway Lake 8 mi · Nanaimo Harbour 8 mi · Cathers Lake 8 mi
See how Mckay Lake stacks up: best rainbow trout lakes in British Columbia · best cutthroat trout lakes in British Columbia
More water nearby: Nanaimo Regional District fishing maps (33 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.