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Fishing Nation Lakes: what the data says
11,220-acre lake near British Columbia. The lake tops out around 256 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. Below is the species-by-species picture, pulled from the same data the map uses.
Burbot fishing at Nation Lakes
Spring burbot on Nation Lakes hold shallow, usually 25 to 70 ft. By summer they slide out to 50 to 120 ft, and by winter most fish are in 15 to 60 ft. The spot to know is Rock reef, a rock pile in about 11.124976686863413 ft of water that rates prime for burbot in winter. In summer the feeding windows fall in after dark and midday. 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 |
Lake Trout fishing at Nation Lakes
In spring, lake trout run shallow here, mostly 10 to 40 ft. They move out to 50 to 120 ft in summer and finish the year down in 20 to 80 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Rock reef: a rock pile around 11.124976686863413 ft that scores prime in fall. Best bite is early morning. Summer baits: a white tube jig (deep) or a magnum spoon on downrigger gets it done.
| 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 Nation Lakes
In spring, rainbow trout run shallow here, mostly 5 to 20 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 8 to 30 ft, and winter fish settle into 8 to 40 ft. Rock reef is the standout, a rock pile at roughly 11.124976686863413 ft, rated prime for fall rainbow trout. Best bite is 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 | 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 Nation Lakes
Spring lake whitefish on Nation Lakes hold shallow, usually 15 to 45 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 40 to 90 ft, and winter fish settle into 25 to 70 ft. The spot to know is Rock reef, a rock pile in about 9.729232854677369 ft of water that rates prime for lake whitefish in fall. Best bite is early morning. Summer baits: a blade bait vertical or a small jigging spoon gets it done.
| 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 218 ft
- Main-lake point: point, around 64 ft
- Secondary point: point, around 64 ft
- Sharp break: drop-off, around 35.64848990080553 ft
- Rock reef: rock pile, around 11.124976686863413 ft
- Rock reef: rock pile, around 9.729232854677369 ft
- Shoreline point: point, around 8.887443817243913 ft
- Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 6 ft
- Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 6 ft
- Weed flat: weed flat, around 4.673677429307993 ft
- Rock reef: rock pile, around 4.662540677162327 ft
- Rock reef: rock pile, around 4.225111789435494 ft
- Weed flat: weed flat, around 4.05807469541121 ft
Common questions
How deep is Nation Lakes?
Nation Lakes is about 256 ft (78 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 Nation Lakes?
Anglers target rainbow trout, lake trout, lake whitefish, burbot on Nation Lakes.
Where is the best fishing spot on Nation Lakes?
Rock reef is the top-rated area: a rock pile in about 9.729232854677369 ft of water that rates prime for lake whitefish in fall. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
When is the best time to fish Nation Lakes?
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
Chooyazi Lake · Mudzenchoot Lake · Abas Lake · Tamasgale Lake · Tizgay Lake · Inzana Lake
See how Nation Lakes stacks up: best rainbow trout lakes in British Columbia · best lake trout lakes in British Columbia · best lake whitefish lakes in British Columbia · best burbot lakes in British Columbia
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