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Fishing Mcneil Lake: what the data says
611-acre lake near British Columbia. The lake tops out around 207 ft. The contours are modeled from the water's real shoreline and maximum depth. Treat them as a rough guide, and never use them for navigation. What follows comes from the same scoring engine that paints the spots above.
Burbot fishing at Mcneil Lake
Spring burbot on Mcneil Lake hold shallow, usually 25 to 70 ft. They move out to 50 to 120 ft in summer and finish the year down in 15 to 60 ft. The spot to know is Break off the point, a drop-off in about 93 ft of water that rates good for burbot in summer. Plan around after dark and midday in the warm months. Summer baits: a heavy jig + cut bait gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 25 to 70 ft | night & dusk | Glow jigging spoon + cut bait, Rattle bait (dark) |
| Summer | 50 to 120 ft | night & midday | Heavy jig + cut bait |
| Fall | 30 to 80 ft | night & dusk | Glow spoon + minnow head, Blade bait (slow) |
| Winter | 15 to 60 ft | night & dusk | Glow tungsten + cut bait, Rattle spoon + minnow head |
Kokanee fishing at Mcneil Lake
In spring, kokanee run shallow here, mostly 10 to 30 ft. They move out to 30 to 70 ft in summer and finish the year down in 20 to 80 ft. Deep basin is the standout, a deep basin at roughly 176 ft, rated good for spring kokanee. Plan around early morning in the warm months. Tie on a dodger + pink/orange squid on downrigger or a kokanee bug + corn and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 10 to 30 ft | dawn | Small dodger + squid (pink), Wedding-ring spinner + corn |
| Summer | 30 to 70 ft | dawn | Dodger + pink/orange squid on downrigger, Kokanee bug + corn |
| Fall | 5 to 40 ft | dawn | Dodger + squid (deeper red/purple), Small spoon |
| Winter | 20 to 80 ft | dawn | Small glow jig + corn or maggot, Tiny spoon |
Lake Trout fishing at Mcneil Lake
In spring, lake trout run shallow here, mostly 10 to 40 ft. By summer they slide out to 50 to 120 ft, and by winter most fish are in 20 to 80 ft. Break off the point is the standout, a drop-off at roughly 93 ft, rated prime for summer lake trout. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning. Tie on a white tube jig (deep) or a magnum spoon on downrigger and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 10 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | Casting spoon over shoals, Jerkbait (shallow) |
| Summer | 50 to 120 ft | dawn | White tube jig (deep), Magnum spoon on downrigger |
| Fall | 10 to 50 ft | dusk & dawn | Heavy casting spoon, Jigging rap over reefs |
| Winter | 20 to 80 ft | dawn | White tube jig, Airplane jig |
Rainbow Trout fishing at Mcneil Lake
Spring rainbow trout on Mcneil Lake hold shallow, usually 5 to 20 ft. They move out to 8 to 30 ft in summer and finish the year down in 8 to 40 ft. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in about 6 ft of water that rates good for rainbow trout in spring. 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 | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon |
| Summer | 8 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Dodger + spoon (deep troll), Flutter spoon |
| Fall | 10 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | Casting spoon, Jerkbait over shoals |
| Winter | 8 to 40 ft | dawn | Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white) |
Lake Whitefish fishing at Mcneil Lake
In spring, lake whitefish run shallow here, mostly 15 to 45 ft. By summer they slide out to 40 to 90 ft, and by winter most fish are in 25 to 70 ft. Break off the point is the standout, a drop-off at roughly 93 ft, rated prime for summer lake whitefish. Plan around early morning in the warm months. A blade bait vertical or a small jigging spoon covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 15 to 45 ft | midday & dawn | Small jig + waxworm, Blade bait (small) |
| Summer | 40 to 90 ft | dawn | Blade bait vertical, Small jigging spoon |
| Fall | 8 to 30 ft | dusk | Small spoon (gold), Jig + plastic larva |
| Winter | 25 to 70 ft | midday & dawn | Jigging spoon + bead chain, Tungsten jig + waxie |
Notable structure
- Deep basin: deep basin, around 176 ft
- Break off the point: drop-off, around 93 ft
- Main-lake point: point, around 52 ft
- Secondary point: point, around 52 ft
- Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 6 ft
- Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 6 ft
Common questions
How deep is Mcneil Lake?
Mcneil Lake is about 207 ft (63 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 Mcneil Lake?
Anglers target rainbow trout, lake trout, kokanee, lake whitefish, burbot on Mcneil Lake.
Where is the best fishing spot on Mcneil Lake?
Break off the point is the top-rated area: a drop-off in about 93 ft of water that rates prime for lake trout in summer. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
When is the best time to fish Mcneil Lake?
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.
Nearby waters
Gotchen Lake · No Name Lake · Hendrix Lake · Beartrack Lake · Weller Lake · Cruiser Lake
See how Mcneil Lake stacks up: best rainbow trout lakes in British Columbia · best lake trout lakes in British Columbia · best kokanee lakes in British Columbia · best lake whitefish lakes in British Columbia
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