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Rating depth structure for rainbow trout.
Shared by DepthScout anglers. Exact spots stay private, always.
8,359-acre lake in Bulkley-Nechako Regional District, British Columbia. The lake tops out around 489 ft. Bathymetry on this water is estimated from its real outline and maximum depth. Use it to shortlist water, then verify with your electronics — and never navigate by it. Every species below gets its seasonal read from the same numbers driving the chart.
The outline encloses 8,817 acres, worked by 30.7 miles of shoreline, broken up by 2 islands. The 2.3 development index tells the story — a convoluted bank whose fishable edge far outruns the acreage. Roughly 1% of the water is 15 ft or less as modeled, the band where the food chain lives. End to end it runs roughly 10.9 mi, about 2.5 mi across. Bulkley-Nechako Regional District claims this one. Its nearest charted neighbour, Francois Lake, is 8 mi to the southwest.
Spring burbot on Tchesinkut Lake hold shallow, usually 25 to 70 ft. They move out to 50 to 120 ft in summer and finish the year down in 15 to 60 ft. Put Offshore hump first on the milk run — an offshore hump near 37 ft that grades prime for winter. The feeding windows run after dark and midday. The summer box starts with a heavy jig + cut bait.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 25 to 70 ft | night & dusk | Offshore hump (37 ft) | Glow jigging spoon + cut bait, Rattle bait (dark) |
| Summer | 50 to 120 ft | night & midday | Sharp break (91 ft) | Heavy jig + cut bait |
| Fall | 30 to 80 ft | night & dusk | Offshore hump (37 ft) | Glow spoon + minnow head, Blade bait (slow) |
| Winter | 15 to 60 ft | night & dusk | Offshore hump (37 ft) | Glow tungsten + cut bait, Rattle spoon + minnow head |
Come spring, look for kokanee tight to the bank in 10 to 30 ft. They move out to 30 to 70 ft in summer and finish the year down in 20 to 80 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Offshore hump: an offshore hump around 37 ft that scores prime in summer. Best bite is early morning. A dodger + pink/orange squid on downrigger or a kokanee bug + corn is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 10 to 30 ft | dawn | Offshore hump (22 ft) | Small dodger + squid (pink), Wedding-ring spinner + corn |
| Summer | 30 to 70 ft | dawn | Offshore hump (37 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 (37 ft) | Small glow jig + corn or maggot, Tiny spoon |
Spring lake trout on Tchesinkut Lake hold shallow, usually 10 to 40 ft. They move out to 50 to 120 ft in summer and finish the year down in 20 to 80 ft. Put Offshore hump first on the milk run — an offshore hump near 37 ft that grades prime for winter. The feeding windows run early morning. The summer box starts with a white tube jig (deep) or a magnum spoon on downrigger.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 10 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | Offshore hump (37 ft) | Casting spoon over shoals, Jerkbait (shallow) |
| Summer | 50 to 120 ft | dawn | Sharp break (91 ft) | White tube jig (deep), Magnum spoon on downrigger |
| Fall | 10 to 50 ft | dusk & dawn | Offshore hump (37 ft) | Heavy casting spoon, Jigging rap over reefs |
| Winter | 20 to 80 ft | dawn | Offshore hump (37 ft) | White tube jig, Airplane jig |
When the water first warms, rainbow trout slide up into 5 to 20 ft. Summer is an 8 to 30 ft game here, winter an 8 to 40 ft one. Start at Shallow bay flat. It's a feeding flat holding about 6 ft of water and rates good come spring. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. Keep a dodger + spoon (deep troll) or a flutter spoon rigged through the warm months.
| 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 (220 ft) | Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white) |
In spring, lake whitefish run shallow here, mostly 15 to 45 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 40 to 90 ft before dropping to 25 to 70 ft for winter. Winter lake whitefish concentrate at Offshore hump, a prime-rated offshore hump around 37 ft. Fish it in early morning and you'll meet the bite. You won't need more than a blade bait vertical or a small jigging spoon most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 15 to 45 ft | midday & dawn | Offshore hump (37 ft) | Small jig + waxworm, Blade bait (small) |
| Summer | 40 to 90 ft | dawn | Offshore hump (37 ft) | Blade bait vertical, Small jigging spoon |
| Fall | 8 to 30 ft | dusk | Offshore hump (22 ft) | Small spoon (gold), Jig + plastic larva |
| Winter | 25 to 70 ft | midday & dawn | Offshore hump (37 ft) | Jigging spoon + bead chain, Tungsten jig + waxie |
11 pieces of structure are mapped here — Deep basin, around 416 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 Tchesinkut Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official British Columbia fishing regulations →
Tchesinkut Lake is about 489 ft (149 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, lake trout, rainbow trout, lake whitefish on Tchesinkut Lake.
Offshore hump is the top-rated area: an offshore hump in about 37 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 Tchesinkut 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.
Francois Lake 8 mi · Burns Lake 8 mi · Tercer Lake 9 mi · Guyishton Lake 9 mi · Co-Op Lake 10 mi · Mollice Lake 10 mi · Anders Lake 11 mi · Uncha Lake 12 mi · Richmond Lake 12 mi · Haney Lake 12 mi · Island Lake 15 mi · Binta Lake 15 mi
See how Tchesinkut Lake stacks up: best rainbow trout lakes in British Columbia · best lake trout lakes in British Columbia · best kokanee lakes in British Columbia · best lake whitefish 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.