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Rating depth structure for rainbow trout.
Shared by DepthScout anglers. Exact spots stay private, always.
712-acre lake in Cowichan Valley Regional District, British Columbia. The lake tops out around 30 ft. These contours are modeled — built from the real shoreline and the water's maximum depth — so read them as a guide, never as navigation. The season-by-season read for each species follows, from the map's own numbers.
Traced from the shoreline, Quamichan Lake runs 712 acres with 5.4 miles of edge, broken up by an island. The shoreline is moderately structured (index 1.5) — enough points and pockets to pattern. 66% of the surface is littoral (under ~15 ft), per the model — cover, weeds and forage water. End to end it runs roughly 2 mi, about 0.8 mi across. You'll find it in Cowichan Valley Regional District. Closest neighbour on DepthScout: Somenos Lake, 2 mi west of here.
In spring, brown bullhead run shallow here, mostly 2 to 8 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 3 to 12 ft before dropping to 10 to 25 ft for winter. Winter brown bullhead concentrate at Deep basin, a prime-rated deep basin around 26 ft. Fish it in after dark and the evening and you'll meet the bite.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | dusk & night | Shallow bay flat (4 ft) | |
| Summer | 3 to 12 ft | night & dusk | Shallow bay flat (4 ft) | |
| Fall | 5 to 15 ft | dusk | Shallow bay flat (4 ft) | |
| Winter | 10 to 25 ft | midday | Deep basin (26 ft) |
Come spring, look for cutthroat trout tight to the bank in 3 to 15 ft. Expect a summer slide to 9 to 30 ft, then a winter hold in 8 to 30 ft. Start at Break off the point. It's a drop-off holding about 14 ft of water and rates prime come summer. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. A trolled spoon (small) or an inline spinner is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (8 ft) | Inline spinner (silver/gold), Small spoon |
| Summer | 9 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (14 ft) | Trolled spoon (small), Inline spinner |
| Fall | 5 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (8 ft) | Casting spoon, Inline spinner |
| Winter | 8 to 30 ft | dawn | Break off the point (14 ft) | Small jigging spoon, Marabou jig |
Early season pumpkinseed use the shallows, holding in 1 to 8 ft. Summer is a 2 to 10 ft game here, winter a 6 to 18 ft one. The chart's best answer is Shallow bay flat — weed flat, 4 ft, prime for spring. Best bite is the evening and early morning. Tie on a micro tube or a sponge spider (fly) and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 8 ft | midday & dusk | Shallow bay flat (4 ft) | Micro jig under a float, Tiny beetle-spin |
| Summer | 2 to 10 ft | dusk & dawn | Shallow bay flat (4 ft) | Micro tube, Sponge spider (fly) |
| Fall | 4 to 14 ft | dusk & dawn | Shallow bay flat (4 ft) | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 6 to 18 ft | dawn | Shallow bay flat (4 ft) | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
Spring puts rainbow trout in skinny water — 5 to 20 ft is the zone. As the season builds they drop to 8 to 30 ft, wintering in 6 to 30 ft. Winter rainbow trout concentrate at Break off the point, a prime-rated drop-off around 14 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. A dodger + spoon (deep troll) or a flutter spoon covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (8 ft) | Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon |
| Summer | 8 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (14 ft) | Dodger + spoon (deep troll), Flutter spoon |
| Fall | 9 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (8 ft) | Casting spoon, Jerkbait over shoals |
| Winter | 6 to 30 ft | dawn | Break off the point (14 ft) | Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white) |
Count 6 structure marks on this chart. The deepest, Deep basin, sits near 26 ft.
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 Quamichan Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official British Columbia fishing regulations →
Quamichan Lake is about 30 ft (9 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 brown bullhead, cutthroat trout, pumpkinseed, rainbow trout on Quamichan Lake.
Break off the point is the top-rated area: a drop-off in about 14 ft of water that rates prime for cutthroat trout in summer. The interactive chart above rates every spot for each species and season.
For brown bullhead, the summer bite is best in after dark 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 Quamichan 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.
Somenos Lake 2 mi · Maple Bay 3 mi · Lake Maxwell 6 mi · Dougan Lake 6 mi · Roberts Lake 7 mi · Keating Lake 7 mi · Fuller Lake 8 mi · St. Mary Lake 8 mi · Blackburn Lake 8 mi · Ford Lake 9 mi · Bullocks Lake 9 mi · Lois Lake 9 mi
See how Quamichan Lake stacks up: best rainbow trout lakes in British Columbia · best cutthroat trout lakes in British Columbia · best pumpkinseed lakes in British Columbia · best brown bullhead lakes in British Columbia
More water nearby: Cowichan Valley Regional District fishing maps (30 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.