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Rating depth structure for rainbow trout.
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2,032-acre lake in Mount Waddington Regional District, British Columbia. The lake tops out around 374 ft. The contours are modeled from the water's real shoreline and maximum depth. Treat them as a rough guide, and never use them for navigation. Here is how the season plays out for each species, straight from the data behind the map.
The outline encloses 2,032 acres, worked by 12 miles of shoreline. A middling shoreline index (1.9) gives it some bays to work without being a maze. Roughly 0% of the water is 15 ft or less as modeled, the band where the food chain lives. Tip to tip the water measures near 4.6 mi with a 1.5-mi widest point. Mount Waddington Regional District claims this one. If the bite dies, Klaklakama Lakes is 7 mi to the north.
Spring chinook salmon on Vernon Lake hold shallow, usually 5 to 40 ft. They move out to 50 to 120 ft in summer and finish the year down in 30 to 90 ft. Put Main-lake point first on the milk run — a point near 94 ft that grades good for summer. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a flasher + fly (green/white) or a magnum spoon on downrigger.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (168 ft) | Trolled spoon (orange/gold), Stickbait off planer boards |
| Summer | 50 to 120 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (94 ft) | Flasher + fly (green/white), Magnum spoon on downrigger |
| Fall | 10 to 50 ft | dawn & dusk | open water | J-plug (glow), Flasher + fly |
| Winter | 30 to 90 ft | midday | Deep basin (318 ft) | Small spoon on a slow troll, Stickbait deep |
Early season coho salmon use the shallows, holding in 3 to 25 ft. Expect a summer slide to 30 to 70 ft, then a winter hold in 20 to 60 ft. Put Deep basin first on the milk run — a deep basin near 318 ft that grades good for summer. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Tie on a dodger + fly or a medium spoon above the thermocline and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | open water | Small orange dodger + peanut fly, Thin spoon (orange/silver) |
| Summer | 30 to 70 ft | dawn & dusk | Deep basin (318 ft) | Dodger + fly, Medium spoon above the thermocline |
| Fall | 8 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | open water | Casting spoon, Spinner (chartreuse) |
| Winter | 20 to 60 ft | midday | Deep basin (318 ft) | Small spoon, slow troll |
Start shallow in spring: cutthroat trout sit in 3 to 15 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 10 to 35 ft, and winter fish settle into 10 to 40 ft. The spot to know is Break off the point, a drop-off in about 168 ft of water that rates good for cutthroat trout in summer. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. Throw a trolled spoon (small) or an inline spinner until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | open water | Inline spinner (silver/gold), Small spoon |
| Summer | 10 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (168 ft) | Trolled spoon (small), Inline spinner |
| Fall | 5 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (94 ft) | Casting spoon, Inline spinner |
| Winter | 10 to 40 ft | dawn | Break off the point (168 ft) | Small jigging spoon, Marabou jig |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: steelhead in 3 to 20 ft. As the season builds they drop to 5 to 45 ft, wintering in 4 to 15 ft. Top water on the chart: Deep basin, a deep basin in the 318 ft range, good in summer. Time it for early morning and the evening. Summer baits: an orange dodger + fly high in the column or a thin spoon off boards gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | open water | Small spoon or spinner at the mouths, Jig + waxworm under float |
| Summer | 5 to 45 ft | dawn & dusk | Deep basin (318 ft) | Orange dodger + fly high in the column, Thin spoon off boards |
| Fall | 5 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | open water | Spinner (silver/blue), Casting spoon |
| Winter | 4 to 15 ft | midday | open water | Float jig (black/purple), Bead rig |
Come spring, look for rainbow trout tight to the bank in 5 to 20 ft. They move out to 8 to 30 ft in summer and finish the year down in 8 to 40 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Shallow bay flat: a feeding flat around 6 ft that scores good in spring. Best bite is early morning and the evening. A dodger + spoon (deep troll) or a flutter spoon is the honest summer answer here.
| 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 (168 ft) | Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white) |
6 pieces of structure are mapped here — Deep basin, around 318 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 Vernon Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official British Columbia fishing regulations →
Vernon Lake is about 374 ft (114 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 chinook salmon, coho salmon, cutthroat trout, steelhead, rainbow trout on Vernon Lake.
Main-lake point is the top-rated area: a point in about 94 ft of water that rates good for chinook salmon in summer. The map above holds the full rated-spot list for every species and season.
For chinook salmon, 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.
Fishing on Vernon 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.
Klaklakama Lakes 7 mi · Klaklakama Lakes 9 mi · Alava Lake 9 mi · Woss Lake 10 mi · Frost Lake 10 mi · Crowman Lake 12 mi · Schoen Lake 12 mi · Hoomak Lake 13 mi · Twaddle Lake 13 mi · Muchalat Lake 15 mi · Ceepeecee Lake 15 mi · Kaipit Lake 16 mi
See how Vernon 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 steelhead lakes in British Columbia
More water nearby: Mount Waddington Regional District fishing maps (56 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.