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Rating depth structure for coho salmon.
Recent public catches load as you reach this section.
504-acre lake in Mount Waddington Regional District, British Columbia. The lake tops out around 128 ft. The contours come from a model of the real basin shape and its known max depth. Read them as probabilities, not soundings, and keep them out of navigation decisions. Species by species, here's what the data says the year looks like.
On the chart, Viola Lake draws 504 acres inside 11.8 miles of shoreline — 4 islands included. That shoreline is heavily fingered (development index 3.8) — bays, points and pockets everywhere, which multiplies the fishable edge. Roughly 15% of the water is 15 ft or less as modeled, the band where the food chain lives. End to end it runs roughly 3.3 mi, about 0.9 mi across. The water lies in Mount Waddington Regional District. Closest neighbour on DepthScout: Burnett Lake, 2 mi northwest of here.
Early season cutthroat trout use the shallows, holding in 3 to 15 ft. Summer is a 10 to 35 ft game here, winter a 10 to 40 ft one. The chart's best answer is Main-lake point — point, 32 ft, prime for summer. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Tie on a trolled spoon (small) or an inline spinner and you're in the game.
| 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 | Main-lake point (32 ft) | Trolled spoon (small), Inline spinner |
| Fall | 5 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (32 ft) | Casting spoon, Inline spinner |
| Winter | 10 to 40 ft | dawn | Main-lake point (32 ft) | Small jigging spoon, Marabou jig |
Start shallow in spring: kokanee sit in 10 to 30 ft that time of year. Warm water sends them out to 30 to 70 ft; cold water stacks them in 20 to 80 ft. Top water on the chart: Break off the point, a drop-off in the 58 ft range, prime in summer. Fish it in early morning and you'll meet the bite. 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 | open water | Small dodger + squid (pink), Wedding-ring spinner + corn |
| Summer | 30 to 70 ft | dawn | Break off the point (58 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 | Break off the point (58 ft) | Small glow jig + corn or maggot, Tiny spoon |
In spring, coho salmon run shallow here, mostly 3 to 25 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 30 to 70 ft, and winter fish settle into 20 to 60 ft. Break off the point is the standout, a drop-off at roughly 58 ft, rated prime for summer coho salmon. Time it for early morning and the evening. You won't need more than a dodger + fly or a medium spoon above the thermocline most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (32 ft) | Small orange dodger + peanut fly, Thin spoon (orange/silver) |
| Summer | 30 to 70 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (58 ft) | Dodger + fly, Medium spoon above the thermocline |
| Fall | 8 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (32 ft) | Casting spoon, Spinner (chartreuse) |
| Winter | 20 to 60 ft | midday | Break off the point (58 ft) | Small spoon, slow troll |
Viola Lake carries 6 mapped structure features, topping out (or rather bottoming out) at Deep basin, about 109 ft down.
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 Viola Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official British Columbia fishing regulations →
Viola Lake is about 128 ft (39 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 cutthroat trout, kokanee, coho salmon on Viola Lake.
Main-lake point is the top-rated area: a point in about 32 ft of water that rates prime for cutthroat trout in summer. The interactive chart above rates every spot for each species and season.
For cutthroat trout, 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 Viola 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.
Burnett Lake 2 mi · Lottie Lake 3 mi · Huaskin Lake 11 mi · Misty Lake 20 mi · Beaver Lake 21 mi · O'Connor Lake 24 mi · Roselle Lake 25 mi · Songhees Lake 25 mi · Thiemer Lake 26 mi · Keogh Lake 27 mi · Long Lake 27 mi · Quatse Lake 27 mi
See how Viola Lake stacks up: best coho salmon lakes in British Columbia · best kokanee lakes in British Columbia · best cutthroat trout lakes in British Columbia
More water nearby: Mount Waddington Regional District fishing maps (56 charts). Browse all British Columbia fishing maps. 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.