Mcneil Lake Depth Map (Cariboo Regional District, BC)

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Lake depth chart

Mcneil Lake, BC

Max 207 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 ~7 months

Damselfly migration · forageJun 1 – Jul 31 · in ~9 months

Traveling sedge (giant lake caddis) · caddisJun 10 – Aug 15 · in ~9 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 Mcneil Lake

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Fishing Mcneil Lake: what the data says

611-acre lake in Cariboo Regional District, British Columbia. The lake tops out around 207 ft. Contours on this water are modeled from its actual shoreline and max depth. Good for finding likely water, never for navigation. Every species below gets its seasonal read from the same numbers driving the chart.

The drawn water covers 611 acres wrapped in 8.1 miles of bank, with a single island in the mix. The 2.3 development index tells the story — a convoluted bank whose fishable edge far outruns the acreage. About 11% of the surface sits shallower than 15 ft on the modeled chart — that's the weed-and-bait zone. Figure 3.1 mi of water from one end to the other, 0.8 mi at the beam. It sits in Cariboo Regional District. Its nearest charted neighbour, Gotchen Lake, is 5 mi to the northwest.

Burbot fishing at Mcneil Lake

Come spring, look for burbot tight to the bank in 25 to 70 ft. Expect a summer slide to 50 to 120 ft, then a winter hold in 15 to 60 ft. Start at Break off the point. It's a drop-off holding about 93 ft of water and rates good come summer. Prime time lands in after dark and midday. A heavy jig + cut bait is the honest summer answer here.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	25 to 70 ft	night & dusk	Deep basin (176 ft)	Glow jigging spoon + cut bait, Rattle bait (dark)
Summer	50 to 120 ft	night & midday	Break off the point (93 ft)	Heavy jig + cut bait
Fall	30 to 80 ft	night & dusk	Break off the point (93 ft)	Glow spoon + minnow head, Blade bait (slow)
Winter	15 to 60 ft	night & dusk	Deep basin (176 ft)	Glow tungsten + cut bait, Rattle spoon + minnow head

Kokanee fishing at Mcneil Lake

Spring kokanee on Mcneil Lake hold shallow, usually 10 to 30 ft. By summer they slide out to 30 to 70 ft, and by winter most fish are in 20 to 80 ft. The chart's best answer is Deep basin — deep basin, 176 ft, good for spring. Prime time lands in early morning. The summer box starts with a dodger + pink/orange squid on downrigger or a kokanee bug + corn.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	10 to 30 ft	dawn	Deep basin (176 ft)	Small dodger + squid (pink), Wedding-ring spinner + corn
Summer	30 to 70 ft	dawn	Deep basin (176 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	Deep basin (176 ft)	Small glow jig + corn or maggot, Tiny spoon

Lake Trout fishing at Mcneil Lake

Come spring, look for lake trout tight to the bank in 10 to 40 ft. Expect a summer slide to 50 to 120 ft, then a winter hold in 20 to 80 ft. Start at Break off the point. It's a drop-off holding about 93 ft of water and rates prime come summer. Prime time lands in early morning. A white tube jig (deep) or a magnum spoon on downrigger is the honest summer answer here.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	10 to 40 ft	dawn & dusk	Main-lake point (52 ft)	Casting spoon over shoals, Jerkbait (shallow)
Summer	50 to 120 ft	dawn	Break off the point (93 ft)	White tube jig (deep), Magnum spoon on downrigger
Fall	10 to 50 ft	dusk & dawn	Main-lake point (52 ft)	Heavy casting spoon, Jigging rap over reefs
Winter	20 to 80 ft	dawn	Break off the point (93 ft)	White tube jig, Airplane jig

Rainbow Trout fishing at Mcneil Lake

Early season rainbow trout use the shallows, holding in 5 to 20 ft. Expect a summer slide to 8 to 30 ft, then a winter hold in 8 to 40 ft. Put Shallow bay flat first on the milk run — a feeding flat near 6 ft that grades good for spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Tie on a dodger + spoon (deep troll) or a flutter spoon and you're in the game.

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	open water	Casting spoon, Jerkbait over shoals
Winter	8 to 40 ft	dawn	Break off the point (93 ft)	Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white)

Lake Whitefish fishing at Mcneil Lake

The spring pattern is a shallow one: lake whitefish in 15 to 45 ft. As the season builds they drop to 40 to 90 ft, wintering in 25 to 70 ft. Top water on the chart: Break off the point, a drop-off in the 93 ft range, prime in summer. Time it for early morning. Summer baits: a blade bait vertical or a small jigging spoon gets it done.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	15 to 45 ft	midday & dawn	Shallow bay flat (6 ft)	Small jig + waxworm, Blade bait (small)
Summer	40 to 90 ft	dawn	Break off the point (93 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	Deep basin (176 ft)	Jigging spoon + bead chain, Tungsten jig + waxie

Notable structure

The chart marks 6 structure features on Mcneil Lake; the deepest is Deep basin at about 176 ft.

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: feeding flat, around 6 ft
Back-bay flat: feeding flat, around 6 ft

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

Check the official British Columbia fishing regulations →

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 burbot, kokanee, lake trout, rainbow trout, lake whitefish 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.

What are the fishing regulations for Mcneil Lake?

Fishing on Mcneil 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

Gotchen Lake 5 mi · No Name Lake 6 mi · Hendrix Lake 7 mi · Beartrack Lake 10 mi · Bosk Lake 10 mi · Cruiser Lake 10 mi · Weller Lake 10 mi · Tommy Archie Lake 11 mi · Kellington Lake 11 mi · Boscar Lake 11 mi · Christopher Lake 12 mi · Whale Lake 12 mi

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

More water nearby: Cariboo Regional District fishing maps (445 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.