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Fishing Payne Lake: what the data says
542-acre lake near Mountain View. The lake tops out around 20 ft. The depth chart is built from real state fisheries GPS surveys, so the humps, channels and drop-offs you see are measured, not guessed. Below is the species-by-species picture, pulled from the same data the map uses.
Cutthroat Trout fishing at Payne Lake
Spring cutthroat trout on Payne Lake hold shallow, usually 3 to 15 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 6 to 20 ft, and winter fish settle into 5 to 20 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Break off the point: a drop-off around 12 ft that scores prime in summer. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. A trolled spoon (small) or a inline spinner covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Inline spinner (silver/gold), Small spoon |
| Summer | 6 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Trolled spoon (small), Inline spinner |
| Fall | 4 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Casting spoon, Inline spinner |
| Winter | 5 to 20 ft | dawn | Small jigging spoon, Marabou jig |
Kokanee fishing at Payne Lake
Spring kokanee on Payne Lake hold shallow, usually 6 to 20 ft. Summer fish stay in 6 to 20 ft, and winter fish hold in 5 to 20 ft. The spot to know is Deep basin, a deep basin in about 19 ft of water that rates prime for kokanee in spring. Plan around early morning in the warm months. Summer baits: a dodger + pink/orange squid on downrigger or a kokanee bug + corn gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 6 to 20 ft | dawn | Small dodger + squid (pink), Wedding-ring spinner + corn |
| Summer | 6 to 20 ft | dawn | Dodger + pink/orange squid on downrigger, Kokanee bug + corn |
| Fall | 3 to 20 ft | dawn | Dodger + squid (deeper red/purple), Small spoon |
| Winter | 5 to 20 ft | dawn | Small glow jig + corn or maggot, Tiny spoon |
Lake Whitefish fishing at Payne Lake
In spring, lake whitefish run shallow here, mostly 6 to 20 ft. Summer fish stay in 6 to 20 ft, and winter fish hold in 6 to 20 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Deep basin: a deep basin around 19 ft that scores prime in summer. Best bite is early morning. Tie on a blade bait vertical or a small jigging spoon and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 6 to 20 ft | midday & dawn | Small jig + waxworm, Blade bait (small) |
| Summer | 6 to 20 ft | dawn | Blade bait vertical, Small jigging spoon |
| Fall | 5 to 20 ft | dusk | Small spoon (gold), Jig + plastic larva |
| Winter | 6 to 20 ft | midday & dawn | Jigging spoon + bead chain, Tungsten jig + waxie |
Rainbow Trout fishing at Payne Lake
Spring rainbow trout on Payne Lake hold shallow, usually 5 to 20 ft. Summer fish stay in 5 to 20 ft, and winter fish hold in 4 to 20 ft. The spot to know is Break off the point, a drop-off in about 12 ft of water that rates prime for rainbow trout in winter. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Summer baits: a dodger + spoon (deep troll) or a flutter spoon gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon |
| Summer | 5 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Dodger + spoon (deep troll), Flutter spoon |
| Fall | 6 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Casting spoon, Jerkbait over shoals |
| Winter | 4 to 20 ft | dawn | Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white) |
Notable structure
- Deep basin: deep basin, around 19 ft
- Break off the point: drop-off, around 12 ft
- Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 7 ft
- Main-lake point: point, around 6 ft
- Secondary point: point, around 6 ft
- Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 2 ft
Common questions
How deep is Payne Lake?
Payne Lake is about 20 ft at its deepest point. The depth chart here comes from real state fisheries GPS surveys, so the contours reflect measured depths.
What fish are in Payne Lake?
Anglers target rainbow trout, kokanee, lake whitefish, cutthroat trout on Payne Lake.
Where is the best fishing spot on Payne Lake?
Break off the point is the top-rated area: a drop-off in about 12 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.
When is the best time to fish Payne Lake?
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.
Nearby waters
Outpost Lake · Beaver Mines Lake · Lee Lake · Keho Lake · Crowsnest Lake · Chin Lakes
See how Payne Lake stacks up: best rainbow trout lakes in Alberta · best lake whitefish lakes in Alberta · best cutthroat trout lakes in Alberta
Browse all Alberta fishing maps or every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry credit: state fisheries survey programs. How we build these maps. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.