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Rating depth structure for brook trout.
Recent public catches load as you reach this section.
144-acre lake in Cowichan Valley Regional District, British Columbia. The lake tops out around 105 ft. The surface is reconstructed from 105 measured spot soundings collected in 1985; water between those measurements is interpolated. Treat the contours between those soundings as a guide, never as navigation. The rest of this page walks each species through its year, using the map's own scoring.
Drawn out, this is 144 acres of water rimmed by 2.4 miles of bank. Index 1.5 on the shoreline: a few honest points and pockets, nothing labyrinthine. Roughly 8% of the water is 15 ft or less as modeled, the band where the food chain lives. End to end it runs roughly 0.9 mi, about 0.4 mi across. You'll find it in Cowichan Valley Regional District. Closest neighbour on DepthScout: Beaver Lake, 1 mi east of here.
Start shallow in spring: brook trout sit in 2 to 15 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 10 to 30 ft, and winter fish settle into 3 to 20 ft. The spot to know is Main-lake point, a point in about 1 ft of water that rates good for brook trout in spring. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. Throw a small spoon fished deep or a trolled lake-clear wobbler + worm until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (1 ft) | Small inline spinner (gold), Tiny spoon |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | open water | Small spoon fished deep, Trolled lake-clear wobbler + worm |
| Fall | 2 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (1 ft) | Small spoon (orange), Spinner |
| Winter | 3 to 20 ft | dawn | Shallow bay flat (1 ft) | Small jigging spoon, Tungsten jig + plastic |
Early season cutthroat trout use the shallows, holding in 3 to 15 ft. Expect a summer slide to 10 to 35 ft, then a winter hold in 10 to 40 ft. Put Main-lake point first on the milk run — a point near 1 ft that grades good for fall. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Tie on a trolled spoon (small) or an inline spinner and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (1 ft) | Inline spinner (silver/gold), Small spoon |
| Summer | 10 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (1 ft) | Trolled spoon (small), Inline spinner |
| Fall | 5 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (1 ft) | Casting spoon, Inline spinner |
| Winter | 10 to 40 ft | dawn | Main-lake point (1 ft) | Small jigging spoon, Marabou jig |
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 Deep basin, a deep basin in about 105 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 | open water | 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 (105 ft) | Small glow jig + corn or maggot, Tiny spoon |
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: Main-lake point, a point in the 1 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 | Main-lake point (1 ft) | Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon |
| Summer | 8 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | open water | Dodger + spoon (deep troll), Flutter spoon |
| Fall | 10 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (1 ft) | Casting spoon, Jerkbait over shoals |
| Winter | 8 to 40 ft | dawn | open water | Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white) |
In spring, coho salmon run shallow here, mostly 3 to 25 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 30 to 70 ft before dropping to 20 to 60 ft for winter. Spring coho salmon concentrate at Main-lake point, a good-rated point around 1 ft. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. You won't need more than a dodger + fly or a medium spoon above the thermocline most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (1 ft) | Small orange dodger + peanut fly, Thin spoon (orange/silver) |
| Summer | 30 to 70 ft | dawn & dusk | open water | Dodger + fly, Medium spoon above the thermocline |
| Fall | 8 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (1 ft) | Casting spoon, Spinner (chartreuse) |
| Winter | 20 to 60 ft | midday | open water | Small spoon, slow troll |
Spring dolly varden on Mesachie Lake hold shallow, usually 1 to 30 ft. They move out to 2 to 40 ft in summer and finish the year down in 8 to 45 ft. Put Main-lake point first on the milk run — a point near 1 ft that grades prime for spring. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a small chrome spoon or a baitfish streamer.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 30 ft | dawn & midday | Main-lake point (1 ft) | Small silver spoon, Inline spinner |
| Summer | 2 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (1 ft) | Small chrome spoon, Baitfish streamer |
| Fall | 1 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (1 ft) | Small spinner, Egg or fry pattern |
| Winter | 8 to 45 ft | midday | Main-lake point (1 ft) | Small slow spoon, Weighted baitfish fly |
Count 6 structure marks on this chart. The deepest, Deep basin, sits near 105 ft.
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 Mesachie Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official British Columbia fishing regulations →
Mesachie Lake is about 104.99 ft (32 m) deep at its deepest point. The surface is reconstructed from 105 measured spot soundings collected in 1985; water between those measurements is interpolated. Treat the contours between those soundings as a guide, never as navigation.
Anglers target brook trout, cutthroat trout, kokanee, rainbow trout, coho salmon, dolly varden on Mesachie Lake.
Main-lake point is the top-rated area: a point in about 1 ft of water that rates prime for dolly varden in spring. The map above holds the full rated-spot list for every species and season.
For brook 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 Mesachie 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.
Beaver Lake 1 mi · Kwassin Lake 3 mi · Grant Lake 4 mi · Mayo Lake 7 mi · Cowichan Lake 8 mi · Dimple Lake 9 mi · Sherk Lake 9 mi · Doe Lake 10 mi · Rheinhart Lake 10 mi · Silver Lake 13 mi · Maid Lake 13 mi · Holyoak Lake 14 mi
See how Mesachie Lake stacks up: best rainbow trout lakes in British Columbia · best coho salmon lakes in British Columbia · best brook trout lakes in British Columbia · best kokanee lakes in British Columbia
More water nearby: Cowichan Valley Regional District fishing maps (30 charts). Browse all British Columbia fishing maps. See every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry credit: British Columbia Fish and Wildlife Branch · Mesachie Lake historic bathymetric chart spot soundings; contour geometry independently interpolated by 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.