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Rating depth structure for rainbow trout.
Shared by DepthScout anglers. Exact spots stay private, always.
13,779-acre lake in Bulkley-Nechako Regional District, British Columbia. The lake tops out around 715 ft. What you see is a modeled chart: the shoreline is real, the max depth is published, and the contours between are estimated. Plan with it; don't navigate by it. Species by species, here's what the data says the year looks like.
Traced from the shoreline, Tahtsa Lake runs 13,782 acres with 53.9 miles of edge, broken up by 8 islands. That shoreline is heavily fingered (development index 3.3) — bays, points and pockets everywhere, which multiplies the fishable edge. Roughly 6% of the water is 15 ft or less as modeled, the band where the food chain lives. Tip to tip the water measures near 17.4 mi with a 4.2-mi widest point. You'll find it in Bulkley-Nechako Regional District. The nearest mapped water is Sweeney Lake, 12 mi to the east.
Start shallow in spring: burbot sit in 25 to 70 ft that time of year. Warm water sends them out to 50 to 120 ft; cold water stacks them in 15 to 60 ft. Top water on the chart: Offshore hump, an offshore hump in the 57 ft range, prime in winter. Fish it in after dark and midday and you'll meet the bite. Throw a heavy jig + cut bait until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 25 to 70 ft | night & dusk | Offshore hump (57 ft) | Glow jigging spoon + cut bait, Rattle bait (dark) |
| Summer | 50 to 120 ft | night & midday | Offshore hump (57 ft) | Heavy jig + cut bait |
| Fall | 30 to 80 ft | night & dusk | Offshore hump (57 ft) | Glow spoon + minnow head, Blade bait (slow) |
| Winter | 15 to 60 ft | night & dusk | Offshore hump (57 ft) | Glow tungsten + cut bait, Rattle spoon + minnow head |
Start shallow in spring: kokanee sit in 10 to 30 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 30 to 70 ft, and winter fish settle into 20 to 80 ft. The spot to know is Offshore hump, an offshore hump in about 57 ft of water that rates prime for kokanee in summer. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning. Throw a dodger + pink/orange squid on downrigger or a kokanee bug + corn until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 10 to 30 ft | dawn | Deep basin (608 ft) | Small dodger + squid (pink), Wedding-ring spinner + corn |
| Summer | 30 to 70 ft | dawn | Offshore hump (57 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 (57 ft) | Small glow jig + corn or maggot, Tiny spoon |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: rainbow trout in 5 to 20 ft. As the season builds they drop to 8 to 30 ft, wintering in 8 to 40 ft. Top water on the chart: Rock reef, a rock pile in the 11 ft range, prime in fall. Time it for early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a dodger + spoon (deep troll) or a flutter spoon gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Rock reef (11 ft) | Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon |
| Summer | 8 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Rock reef (11 ft) | Dodger + spoon (deep troll), Flutter spoon |
| Fall | 10 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | Rock reef (11 ft) | Casting spoon, Jerkbait over shoals |
| Winter | 8 to 40 ft | dawn | Rock reef (11 ft) | Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white) |
When the water first warms, lake whitefish slide up into 15 to 45 ft. Summer is a 40 to 90 ft game here, winter a 25 to 70 ft one. Start at Rock reef. It's a rock pile holding about 11 ft of water and rates prime come fall. The feeding windows run early morning. Keep a blade bait vertical or a small jigging spoon rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 15 to 45 ft | midday & dawn | Rock reef (12 ft) | Small jig + waxworm, Blade bait (small) |
| Summer | 40 to 90 ft | dawn | Offshore hump (57 ft) | Blade bait vertical, Small jigging spoon |
| Fall | 8 to 30 ft | dusk | Rock reef (11 ft) | Small spoon (gold), Jig + plastic larva |
| Winter | 25 to 70 ft | midday & dawn | Offshore hump (57 ft) | Jigging spoon + bead chain, Tungsten jig + waxie |
10 pieces of structure are mapped here — Deep basin, around 608 ft, is the deepest of them.
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 Tahtsa Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official British Columbia fishing regulations →
Tahtsa Lake is about 715 ft (218 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 burbot, kokanee, rainbow trout, lake whitefish on Tahtsa Lake.
Offshore hump is the top-rated area: an offshore hump in about 57 ft of water that rates prime for burbot in winter. The map above holds the full rated-spot list for every 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 Tahtsa 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.
Sweeney Lake 12 mi · Twinkle Lake 21 mi · Stepp Lake 21 mi · Morice Lake 23 mi · Needle Lake 23 mi · Lindquist Lake 23 mi · Newcombe Lake 24 mi · Anzac Lake 25 mi · Nadina Lake 25 mi · Short Portage Lake 25 mi · Lamprey Lake 26 mi · Skinny Lake 26 mi
See how Tahtsa Lake stacks up: best rainbow trout lakes in British Columbia · best kokanee lakes in British Columbia · best lake whitefish lakes in British Columbia · best burbot lakes in British Columbia
More water nearby: Bulkley-Nechako Regional District fishing maps (324 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.