Best coho salmon lakes in Washington
7 Washington waters hold coho salmon, 6 mapped with real state-agency depth surveys. Ranked below by size and depth-data quality — open any water to see exactly where to fish it: depth contours, scored spots with plain-English reasons, seasonal windows and bait picks. Aggressive schooling salmon that rides warmer, shallower water than kings — a spring nearshore brawler.
- Willapa Bay — 94 ft max · survey depth data · Chinook Salmon, Coho Salmon, Cutthroat Trout
- Grays Harbor — 116 ft max · survey depth data · Chinook Salmon, Coho Salmon, Cutthroat Trout
- Lake Sammamish — 25 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Crappie, Rainbow Trout
- Dungeness Bay — 162 ft max · survey depth data · Chinook Salmon, Coho Salmon, Cutthroat Trout
- Liberty Bay — 66 ft max · survey depth data · Chinook Salmon, Coho Salmon, Cutthroat Trout
- Sequim Bay — 126 ft max · survey depth data · Chinook Salmon, Coho Salmon, Cutthroat Trout
- Cowlitz River — 10 ft max · Rainbow Trout, Chinook Salmon, Coho Salmon, Steelhead
When to fish coho salmon in Washington
- Spring 3–25 ft — The famous spring coho bite: schools stack in the warmest nearshore water and mud lines, often in the top 15 feet.
- Summer 30–70 ft — Cohos hold at and just above the thermocline — shallower than kings, and they hit moving baits hard.
- Fall 8–40 ft — Staging and running fish concentrate off river mouths; cohos stay aggressive right up to the spawn.
- Winter 20–60 ft — Mostly offshore and scattered.
Also in Washington: best largemouth bass lakes · best smallmouth bass lakes · best crappie lakes · best bluegill lakes · best channel catfish lakes · best rainbow trout lakes · best yellow perch lakes · best common carp lakes · best chinook salmon lakes · best brown trout lakes · best brook trout lakes · best kokanee lakes · best cutthroat trout lakes