Okanagan Lake Depth Map & Fishing Spots (BC)

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Lake depth chart

Okanagan Lake, BC

Max 794 ft

Today's read

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.

Loading depth chart…

Recent catches at Okanagan Lake

1 catch shared · 1 angler watching on this water. Exact spots stay private, always.

Pumpkinseed

Lorncell · August 2026 · on small popper flies on a fly rod.

Fishing Okanagan Lake: what the data says

86,170-acre lake in Central Okanagan Regional District, British Columbia. The lake tops out around 794 ft. This chart interpolates between a real shoreline and a known maximum depth. It will point you at likely water, but it is not a navigation product. Every species below gets its seasonal read from the same numbers driving the chart.

The outline encloses 86,093 acres, worked by 176.8 miles of shoreline, with a single island in the mix. The 4.3 development index tells the story — a convoluted bank whose fishable edge far outruns the acreage. Littoral water — the productive band under ~15 ft — makes up 0% of this chart, as modeled. Call it 60.1 mi long by 12.1 mi wide at the broadest reach. It sits in Central Okanagan Regional District. If the bite dies, Rose Valley Lake is 2 mi to the southwest.

Brook Trout fishing at Okanagan Lake

Early season brook trout use the shallows, holding in 2 to 15 ft. Expect a summer slide to 10 to 30 ft, then a winter hold in 3 to 20 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 small spoon fished deep or a trolled lake-clear wobbler + worm and you're in the game.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	2 to 15 ft	dawn & dusk	Shallow bay flat (6 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	open water	Small spoon (orange), Spinner
Winter	3 to 20 ft	dawn	Shallow bay flat (6 ft)	Small jigging spoon, Tungsten jig + plastic

Burbot fishing at Okanagan Lake

When the water first warms, burbot slide up into 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. If you only fish one area, make it Deep break: a drop-off around 64 ft that scores prime in spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in after dark and midday. Keep a heavy jig + cut bait rigged through the warm months.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	25 to 70 ft	night & dusk	Deep break (64 ft)	Glow jigging spoon + cut bait, Rattle bait (dark)
Summer	50 to 120 ft	night & midday	Sharp break (85 ft)	Heavy jig + cut bait
Fall	30 to 80 ft	night & dusk	Deep break (64 ft)	Glow spoon + minnow head, Blade bait (slow)
Winter	15 to 60 ft	night & dusk	Deep break (63 ft)	Glow tungsten + cut bait, Rattle spoon + minnow head

Cutthroat Trout fishing at Okanagan Lake

In spring, cutthroat trout run shallow here, mostly 3 to 15 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 10 to 35 ft before dropping to 10 to 40 ft for winter. Summer cutthroat trout concentrate at Break off the point, a good-rated drop-off around 357 ft. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. You won't need more than a trolled spoon (small) or an inline spinner most summer days.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	3 to 15 ft	dawn & dusk	open water	Inline spinner (silver/gold), Small spoon
Summer	10 to 35 ft	dawn & dusk	Break off the point (357 ft)	Trolled spoon (small), Inline spinner
Fall	5 to 25 ft	dawn & dusk	Main-lake point (199 ft)	Casting spoon, Inline spinner
Winter	10 to 40 ft	dawn	Break off the point (357 ft)	Small jigging spoon, Marabou jig

Kokanee fishing at Okanagan Lake

Early season kokanee use the shallows, holding in 10 to 30 ft. Expect a summer slide to 30 to 70 ft, then a winter hold in 20 to 80 ft. Put Deep break first on the milk run — a drop-off near 64 ft that grades prime for summer. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning. Tie on a dodger + pink/orange squid on downrigger or a kokanee bug + corn and you're in the game.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	10 to 30 ft	dawn	Deep basin (675 ft)	Small dodger + squid (pink), Wedding-ring spinner + corn
Summer	30 to 70 ft	dawn	Deep break (64 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 break (64 ft)	Small glow jig + corn or maggot, Tiny spoon

Lake Trout fishing at Okanagan Lake

When the water first warms, lake trout slide up into 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. If you only fish one area, make it Deep break: a drop-off around 64 ft that scores prime in winter. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning. Keep a white tube jig (deep) or a magnum spoon on downrigger rigged through the warm months.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	10 to 40 ft	dawn & dusk	Main-lake point (199 ft)	Casting spoon over shoals, Jerkbait (shallow)
Summer	50 to 120 ft	dawn	Sharp break (85 ft)	White tube jig (deep), Magnum spoon on downrigger
Fall	10 to 50 ft	dusk & dawn	Deep break (63 ft)	Heavy casting spoon, Jigging rap over reefs
Winter	20 to 80 ft	dawn	Deep break (64 ft)	White tube jig, Airplane jig

Pumpkinseed fishing at Okanagan Lake

Start shallow in spring: pumpkinseed sit in 1 to 8 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 2 to 10 ft, and winter fish settle into 6 to 18 ft. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a feeding flat in about 6 ft of water that rates prime for pumpkinseed in spring. Warm-month bites cluster around the evening and early morning. Throw a micro tube or a sponge spider (fly) until the fish tell you otherwise.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	1 to 8 ft	midday & dusk	Shallow bay flat (6 ft)	Micro jig under a float, Tiny beetle-spin
Summer	2 to 10 ft	dusk & dawn	Shallow bay flat (6 ft)	Micro tube, Sponge spider (fly)
Fall	4 to 14 ft	dusk & dawn	Shallow bay flat (6 ft)	Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped
Winter	6 to 18 ft	dawn	Shallow bay flat (6 ft)	Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon

Okanagan Lake also holds smallmouth bass (10 to 30 ft in summer), rainbow trout (8 to 30 ft in summer), lake whitefish (40 to 90 ft in summer), yellow perch (10 to 30 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.

Notable structure

19 pieces of structure are mapped here — Deep basin, around 675 ft, is the deepest of them.

Deep basin: deep basin, around 675 ft
Break off the point: drop-off, around 357 ft
Main-lake point: point, around 199 ft
Secondary point: point, around 199 ft
Offshore hump: offshore hump, around 174 ft
Shoreline point: point, around 111 ft
Deep break: drop-off, around 108 ft
Deep break: drop-off, around 108 ft
Deep break: drop-off, around 107 ft
Sharp break: drop-off, around 85 ft
Deep break: drop-off, around 64 ft
Deep break: drop-off, around 64 ft
Deep break: drop-off, around 64 ft
Deep break: drop-off, around 63 ft

Public access & boat ramps

Evely — ramp (boat launch - concrete)

Access data: British Columbia Recreation Sites and Trails - Recreation Sites Subset. Confirm conditions and fees locally before you launch.

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

Check the official British Columbia fishing regulations →

Common questions

How deep is Okanagan Lake?

Okanagan Lake is about 794 ft (242 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 Okanagan Lake?

Anglers target brook trout, burbot, cutthroat trout, kokanee, lake trout, pumpkinseed, smallmouth bass, rainbow trout, lake whitefish, yellow perch on Okanagan Lake.

Where is the best fishing spot on Okanagan Lake?

Deep break is the top-rated area: a drop-off in about 64 ft of water that rates prime for lake trout in winter. The interactive chart above rates every spot for each species and season.

When is the best time to fish Okanagan Lake?

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.

What are the fishing regulations for Okanagan Lake?

Fishing on Okanagan 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

Rose Valley Lake 2 mi · Shannon Lake 6 mi · Ellison Lake 8 mi · Jackpine Lake 12 mi · Wood Lake 13 mi · Islaht Lake 13 mi · Dobbin Lake 13 mi · Swalwell Lake 16 mi · Big Meadow Lake 17 mi · Oyama Lake 17 mi · Mcculloch Reservoir 19 mi · Garnet Lake 19 mi

See how Okanagan Lake stacks up: best smallmouth bass lakes in British Columbia · best rainbow trout lakes in British Columbia · best yellow perch lakes in British Columbia · best lake trout lakes in British Columbia

More water nearby: Central Okanagan Regional District fishing maps (14 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.