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75,680-acre lake in Columbia-Shuswap Regional District, British Columbia. The lake tops out around 530 ft. The surface is reconstructed from 101 measured spot soundings collected in 1949; water between those measurements is interpolated. Treat the contours between those soundings as a guide, never as navigation. What the data behind the map says about each species, season by season:
Drawn out, this is 75,617 acres of water rimmed by 209.6 miles of bank — 5 islands included. That shoreline is heavily fingered (development index 5.4) — bays, points and pockets everywhere, which multiplies the fishable edge. Littoral water — the productive band under ~15 ft — makes up 12% of this chart, as modeled. Tip to tip the water measures near 39.6 mi with a 21.7-mi widest point. You'll find it in Columbia-Shuswap Regional District. Closest neighbour on DepthScout: White Lake, 6 mi south of here.
Spring puts burbot in skinny water — 25 to 70 ft is the zone. Warm water sends them out to 50 to 120 ft; cold water stacks them in 15 to 60 ft. Offshore hump 3 is the standout, an offshore hump at roughly 51 ft, rated prime for winter burbot. Plan around after dark and midday in the warm months. A heavy jig + cut bait covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 25 to 70 ft | night & dusk | Offshore hump 3 (51 ft) | Glow jigging spoon + cut bait, Rattle bait (dark) |
| Summer | 50 to 120 ft | night & midday | Offshore hump 1 (82 ft) | Heavy jig + cut bait |
| Fall | 30 to 80 ft | night & dusk | Offshore hump 3 (51 ft) | Glow spoon + minnow head, Blade bait (slow) |
| Winter | 15 to 60 ft | night & dusk | Offshore hump 3 (51 ft) | Glow tungsten + cut bait, Rattle spoon + minnow head |
Come spring, look for cutthroat trout tight to the bank in 3 to 15 ft. Expect a summer slide to 10 to 35 ft, then a winter hold in 10 to 40 ft. Start at Shoreline point. It's a point holding about 32 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 (1 ft) | Inline spinner (silver/gold), Small spoon |
| Summer | 10 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | Shoreline point (32 ft) | Trolled spoon (small), Inline spinner |
| Fall | 5 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (1 ft) | Casting spoon, Inline spinner |
| Winter | 10 to 40 ft | dawn | Shoreline point (32 ft) | Small jigging spoon, Marabou jig |
In spring, kokanee run shallow here, mostly 10 to 30 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 30 to 70 ft, and winter fish settle into 20 to 80 ft. Offshore hump 3 is the standout, an offshore hump at roughly 51 ft, rated prime for summer kokanee. Time it for early morning. You won't need more than a dodger + pink/orange squid on downrigger or a kokanee bug + corn most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 10 to 30 ft | dawn | open water | Small dodger + squid (pink), Wedding-ring spinner + corn |
| Summer | 30 to 70 ft | dawn | Offshore hump 3 (51 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 | Offshore hump 3 (51 ft) | Small glow jig + corn or maggot, Tiny spoon |
Spring puts lake trout in skinny water — 10 to 40 ft is the zone. Warm water sends them out to 50 to 120 ft; cold water stacks them in 20 to 80 ft. Offshore hump 1 is the standout, an offshore hump at roughly 82 ft, rated prime for summer lake trout. Plan around early morning in the warm months. A white tube jig (deep) or a magnum spoon on downrigger covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 10 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | Shoreline point (32 ft) | Casting spoon over shoals, Jerkbait (shallow) |
| Summer | 50 to 120 ft | dawn | Offshore hump 1 (82 ft) | White tube jig (deep), Magnum spoon on downrigger |
| Fall | 10 to 50 ft | dusk & dawn | Offshore hump 3 (51 ft) | Heavy casting spoon, Jigging rap over reefs |
| Winter | 20 to 80 ft | dawn | Offshore hump 3 (51 ft) | White tube jig, Airplane jig |
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 8 to 40 ft. Fall rainbow trout concentrate at Shoreline point, a prime-rated point around 32 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 (1 ft) | Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon |
| Summer | 8 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Shoreline point (32 ft) | Dodger + spoon (deep troll), Flutter spoon |
| Fall | 10 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | Shoreline point (32 ft) | Casting spoon, Jerkbait over shoals |
| Winter | 8 to 40 ft | dawn | open water | Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white) |
Early season lake whitefish use the shallows, holding in 15 to 45 ft. Summer is a 40 to 90 ft game here, winter a 25 to 70 ft one. The chart's best answer is Offshore hump 1 — offshore hump, 82 ft, prime for 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 | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 15 to 45 ft | midday & dawn | Offshore hump 3 (51 ft) | Small jig + waxworm, Blade bait (small) |
| Summer | 40 to 90 ft | dawn | Offshore hump 1 (82 ft) | Blade bait vertical, Small jigging spoon |
| Fall | 8 to 30 ft | dusk | Shoreline point (32 ft) | Small spoon (gold), Jig + plastic larva |
| Winter | 25 to 70 ft | midday & dawn | Offshore hump 3 (51 ft) | Jigging spoon + bead chain, Tungsten jig + waxie |
Shuswap Lake also holds sockeye salmon (3 to 80 ft in summer), chinook salmon (50 to 120 ft in summer), coho salmon (30 to 70 ft in summer), dolly varden (2 to 40 ft in summer), pink salmon (3 to 70 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
22 pieces of structure are mapped here — Deep basin, around 492 ft, is the deepest of them.
Access data: British Columbia Recreation Sites and Trails - Recreation Sites Subset; Government of British Columbia - Dual-Verified Provincial Crown Land Shoreline; Government of British Columbia - Dual-Verified Provincial Crown Land Shoreline. Confirm conditions and fees locally before you launch.
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 Shuswap Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official British Columbia fishing regulations →
Shuswap Lake is about 530 ft (162 m) deep at its deepest point. The surface is reconstructed from 101 measured spot soundings collected in 1949; water between those measurements is interpolated. Treat the contours between those soundings as a guide, never as navigation.
Anglers target burbot, cutthroat trout, kokanee, lake trout, rainbow trout, lake whitefish, sockeye salmon, chinook salmon, coho salmon, dolly varden, pink salmon on Shuswap Lake.
Offshore hump 3 is the top-rated area: an offshore hump in about 51 ft of water that rates prime for burbot in winter. Scroll up to the map for the complete spot list by species and season.
For burbot, the summer bite is best in after dark and midday. Each species page section below lists the seasonal windows, and the map shows a live NOW badge when you're inside one.
Fishing on Shuswap 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.
White Lake 6 mi · Little White Lake 8 mi · Skimikin Lake 16 mi · Pisima Lake 16 mi · Mara Lake 17 mi · Wright Lake 17 mi · Phillips Lake 18 mi · Chum Lake 19 mi · Nikwikwaia Lakes 19 mi · Little Shuswap Lake 20 mi · Bryden Lake 21 mi · Pement Lake 21 mi
See how Shuswap Lake stacks up: best rainbow trout lakes in British Columbia · best chinook salmon lakes in British Columbia · best coho salmon lakes in British Columbia · best lake trout lakes in British Columbia
More water nearby: Columbia-Shuswap Regional District fishing maps (49 charts). Browse all British Columbia fishing maps. See every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry credit: International Pacific Salmon Fisheries Commission · 1949 Shuswap Lake spot soundings; contour geometry independently interpolated by 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.