Paul Lake Depth Map & Fishing Spots (BC)

Skip to interactive depth chart

Lake depth chart

Paul Lake, BC

Max 240 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.

Depth · ft

Loading bounded depth chart…

Recent catches at Paul Lake

Recent public catches load as you reach this section.

Fishing Paul Lake: what the data says

660-acre lake in Thompson-Nicola Regional District, British Columbia. The lake tops out around 240 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. The season-by-season read for each species follows, from the map's own numbers.

Paul Lake maps at 660 acres behind 7.9 miles of shoreline. That shoreline is heavily fingered (development index 2.2) — bays, points and pockets everywhere, which multiplies the fishable edge. Littoral water — the productive band under ~15 ft — makes up 20% of this chart, as modeled. Tip to tip the water measures near 3.5 mi with a 0.7-mi widest point. It sits in Thompson-Nicola Regional District. If the bite dies, Louis Lake is 1 mi to the northwest.

Brook Trout fishing at Paul Lake

Spring brook trout on Paul Lake hold shallow, usually 2 to 15 ft. By summer they slide out to 10 to 30 ft, and by winter most fish are in 3 to 20 ft. The chart's best answer is Shallow bay flat — weed flat, 6 ft, good for spring. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a small spoon fished deep or a trolled lake-clear wobbler + worm.

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

Kokanee fishing at Paul Lake

Spring kokanee on Paul 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, 204 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 (204 ft)	Small dodger + squid (pink), Wedding-ring spinner + corn
Summer	30 to 70 ft	dawn	Deep basin (204 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 (204 ft)	Small glow jig + corn or maggot, Tiny spoon

Lake Trout fishing at Paul 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 108 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 (60 ft)	Casting spoon over shoals, Jerkbait (shallow)
Summer	50 to 120 ft	dawn	Break off the point (108 ft)	White tube jig (deep), Magnum spoon on downrigger
Fall	10 to 50 ft	dusk & dawn	Main-lake point (60 ft)	Heavy casting spoon, Jigging rap over reefs
Winter	20 to 80 ft	dawn	Deep basin (204 ft)	White tube jig, Airplane jig

Rainbow Trout fishing at Paul 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 weed 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 (108 ft)	Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white)

Notable structure

6 pieces of structure are mapped here — Deep basin, around 204 ft, is the deepest of them.

Deep basin: deep basin, around 204 ft
Break off the point: drop-off, around 108 ft
Main-lake point: point, around 60 ft
Secondary point: point, around 60 ft
Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 6 ft
Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 6 ft

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

Check the official British Columbia fishing regulations →

Common questions

How deep is Paul Lake?

Paul Lake is about 240 ft (73 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 Paul Lake?

Anglers target brook trout, kokanee, lake trout, rainbow trout on Paul Lake.

Where is the best fishing spot on Paul Lake?

Break off the point is the top-rated area: a drop-off in about 108 ft of water that rates prime for lake trout in summer. Scroll up to the map for the complete spot list by species and season.

When is the best time to fish Paul 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 Paul Lake?

Fishing on Paul 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

Louis Lake 1 mi · Pinantan Lake 4 mi · Heffley Lake 7 mi · Little Heffley Lake 8 mi · Pemberton Lake 8 mi · Hadlow Lake 8 mi · Hyas Lake 8 mi · Silentpool Lake 8 mi · Eileen Lake 10 mi · Curry Lake 11 mi · Lyons Lake 11 mi · Disdero Lake 12 mi

See how Paul Lake stacks up: best rainbow trout lakes in British Columbia · best lake trout lakes in British Columbia · best brook trout lakes in British Columbia · best kokanee lakes in British Columbia

More water nearby: Thompson-Nicola Regional District fishing maps (322 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.