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Best coho salmon lakes in Washington

11 Washington waters list coho salmon (official records or labelled estimates), 8 mapped with survey or official-chart depth data. Ranked below by size and depth-data quality, leading with the waters in our reviewed search catalog — 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.

1. Willapa Bay — 94 ft max · real survey depth contours · Chinook Salmon, Coho Salmon, Cutthroat Trout, SurfperchWhy #1: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 4 public access sites
2. Grays Harbor — 116 ft max · real survey depth contours · Chinook Salmon, Coho Salmon, Cutthroat Trout, SurfperchWhy #2: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 5 public access sites
3. Lake Washington — 214 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Crappie, Yellow PerchWhy #3: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · no verified access record attached
4. Columbia River — Reach 1 of 5 — 117 ft max · real survey depth contours · Rainbow Trout, Chinook Salmon, Coho Salmon, SteelheadWhy #4: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
5. Riffe Lake — 360 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Crappie, BluegillWhy #5: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · no verified access record attached
6. Lake Sammamish — 25 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Crappie, Rainbow TroutWhy #6: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 11 public access sites
7. Dungeness Bay — 162 ft max · real survey depth contours · Chinook Salmon, Coho Salmon, Cutthroat TroutWhy #7: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 3 public access sites
8. Sequim Bay — 126 ft max · real survey depth contours · Chinook Salmon, Coho Salmon, Cutthroat TroutWhy #8: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
9. Willapa River — 49 ft max · real survey depth contours · Rainbow Trout, Chinook Salmon, Coho Salmon, SteelheadWhy #9: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
10. Liberty Bay — 66 ft max · real survey depth contours · Chinook Salmon, Coho Salmon, Cutthroat Trout, SurfperchWhy #10: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 4 public access sites
11. Cowlitz River — 10 ft max · Rainbow Trout, Chinook Salmon, Coho Salmon, SteelheadWhy #11: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 3 public access sites

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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 steelhead lakes · best brown trout lakes · best brook trout lakes · best kokanee lakes · best cutthroat trout lakes · best pink salmon lakes · best chum salmon lakes · best pacific chinook salmon lakes · best pacific coho salmon lakes · best english sole lakes · best lingcod lakes

Coho Salmon elsewhere: Ontario · British Columbia · Michigan · Alaska · Idaho