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Fishing Williams Lake: what the data says
1,722-acre lake near British Columbia. The lake tops out around 79 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. What follows comes from the same scoring engine that paints the spots above.
Burbot fishing at Williams Lake
In spring, burbot run shallow here, mostly 25 to 70 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 24 to 79 ft, and winter fish settle into 15 to 60 ft. The spot to know is Deep basin, a deep basin in about 67 ft of water that rates prime for burbot in spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in after dark and midday. A heavy jig + cut bait covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 25 to 70 ft | night & dusk | Glow jigging spoon + cut bait, Rattle bait (dark) |
| Summer | 24 to 79 ft | night & midday | Heavy jig + cut bait |
| Fall | 24 to 79 ft | night & dusk | Glow spoon + minnow head, Blade bait (slow) |
| Winter | 15 to 60 ft | night & dusk | Glow tungsten + cut bait, Rattle spoon + minnow head |
Kokanee fishing at Williams Lake
In spring, kokanee run shallow here, mostly 10 to 30 ft. They move out to 30 to 70 ft in summer and finish the year down in 20 to 79 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Deep basin: a deep basin around 67 ft that scores prime in summer. Best bite is early morning. Summer baits: a dodger + pink/orange squid on downrigger or a kokanee bug + corn gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 10 to 30 ft | dawn | Small dodger + squid (pink), Wedding-ring spinner + corn |
| Summer | 30 to 70 ft | dawn | Dodger + pink/orange squid on downrigger, Kokanee bug + corn |
| Fall | 5 to 40 ft | dawn | Dodger + squid (deeper red/purple), Small spoon |
| Winter | 20 to 79 ft | dawn | Small glow jig + corn or maggot, Tiny spoon |
Rainbow Trout fishing at Williams Lake
Start shallow in spring: rainbow trout sit in 5 to 20 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 8 to 30 ft, and winter fish settle into 8 to 40 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Break off the point: a drop-off around 36 ft that scores prime in winter. Best bite is early morning and the evening. A dodger + spoon (deep troll) or a flutter spoon covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon |
| Summer | 8 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Dodger + spoon (deep troll), Flutter spoon |
| Fall | 10 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | Casting spoon, Jerkbait over shoals |
| Winter | 8 to 40 ft | dawn | Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white) |
Lake Whitefish fishing at Williams Lake
In spring, lake whitefish run shallow here, mostly 15 to 45 ft. They move out to 24 to 79 ft in summer and finish the year down in 25 to 70 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Deep basin: a deep basin around 67 ft that scores prime in summer. Best bite is early morning. Summer baits: a blade bait vertical or a small jigging spoon gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 15 to 45 ft | midday & dawn | Small jig + waxworm, Blade bait (small) |
| Summer | 24 to 79 ft | dawn | Blade bait vertical, Small jigging spoon |
| Fall | 8 to 30 ft | dusk | Small spoon (gold), Jig + plastic larva |
| Winter | 25 to 70 ft | midday & dawn | Jigging spoon + bead chain, Tungsten jig + waxie |
Notable structure
- Deep basin: deep basin, around 67 ft
- Break off the point: drop-off, around 36 ft
- Main-lake point: point, around 20 ft
- Secondary point: point, around 20 ft
- Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 6 ft
- Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 6 ft
Common questions
How deep is Williams Lake?
Williams Lake is about 79 ft (24 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.
What fish are in Williams Lake?
Anglers target rainbow trout, kokanee, lake whitefish, burbot on Williams Lake.
Where is the best fishing spot on Williams Lake?
Deep basin is the top-rated area: a deep basin in about 67 ft of water that rates prime for burbot in spring. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
When is the best time to fish Williams Lake?
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.
Nearby waters
Reservoir Lake · Brunson Lake · Dugan Lake · Felker Lake · Dewar Lake · Chimney Lake
See how Williams 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
Browse all British Columbia fishing maps or every water on DepthScout. How we build these maps. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.