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Rating depth structure for kokanee.
Recent public catches load as you reach this section.
470-acre lake in Strathcona Regional District, British Columbia. The lake tops out around 131 ft. Depth here is modeled from the true shoreline and max depth rather than surveyed; use it to plan, not to navigate. Every species below gets its seasonal read from the same numbers driving the chart.
The drawn water covers 470 acres wrapped in 6.7 miles of bank, with 3 islands in the mix. A development index of 2.2 means a maze of bays and points: far more casting targets than a round bowl of the same size. Roughly 16% of the water is 15 ft or less as modeled, the band where the food chain lives. End to end it runs roughly 1.9 mi, about 0.7 mi across. Strathcona Regional District claims this one. Its nearest charted neighbour, Martha Lake, is 2 mi to the southeast.
Start shallow in spring: cutthroat trout sit in 3 to 15 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 10 to 35 ft, and winter fish settle into 10 to 40 ft. The spot to know is Main-lake point, a point in about 33 ft of water that rates prime for cutthroat trout in summer. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. Throw a trolled spoon (small) or an inline spinner until the fish tell you otherwise.
| 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 | Main-lake point (33 ft) | Trolled spoon (small), Inline spinner |
| Fall | 5 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (33 ft) | Casting spoon, Inline spinner |
| Winter | 10 to 40 ft | dawn | Main-lake point (33 ft) | Small jigging spoon, Marabou jig |
When the water first warms, kokanee slide up into 10 to 30 ft. Summer is a 30 to 70 ft game here, winter a 20 to 80 ft one. Start at Break off the point. It's a drop-off holding about 59 ft of water and rates prime come summer. The feeding windows run early morning. Keep a dodger + pink/orange squid on downrigger or a kokanee bug + corn rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 10 to 30 ft | dawn | Deep basin (111 ft) | Small dodger + squid (pink), Wedding-ring spinner + corn |
| Summer | 30 to 70 ft | dawn | Break off the point (59 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 | Break off the point (59 ft) | Small glow jig + corn or maggot, Tiny spoon |
Paterson Lake carries 6 mapped structure features, topping out (or rather bottoming out) at Deep basin, about 111 ft down.
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 Paterson Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official British Columbia fishing regulations →
Paterson Lake is about 131 ft (40 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.
Anglers target cutthroat trout, kokanee on Paterson Lake.
Main-lake point is the top-rated area: a point in about 33 ft of water that rates prime for cutthroat trout in summer. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
For cutthroat 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 Paterson 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.
Martha Lake 2 mi · Merrill Lake 4 mi · Brewster Lake 4 mi · Boot Lake 5 mi · Third Lake 6 mi · Second Lake 6 mi · Jessie Lake 6 mi · First Lake 6 mi · Lawier Lake 6 mi · Gosling Lake 7 mi · Surprise Lake 7 mi · Grace Lake 8 mi
See how Paterson Lake stacks up: best kokanee lakes in British Columbia · best cutthroat trout lakes in British Columbia
More water nearby: Strathcona Regional District fishing maps (85 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.