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Best cutthroat trout lakes in Washington

94 Washington waters list cutthroat trout (official records or labelled estimates), 89 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. The native trout of the West, named for the orange slash under its jaw. A shoreline cruiser that hunts drop-offs, inlets and rocky points for baitfish and insects.

1. Lake Chelan — 1400 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Rainbow Trout, Chinook SalmonWhy #1: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 11 public access sites
2. Willapa Bay — 94 ft max · real survey depth contours · Chinook Salmon, Coho Salmon, Cutthroat Trout, SurfperchWhy #2: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 4 public access sites
3. Grays Harbor — 116 ft max · real survey depth contours · Chinook Salmon, Coho Salmon, Cutthroat Trout, SurfperchWhy #3: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 5 public access sites
4. Lake Washington — 214 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Crappie, Yellow PerchWhy #4: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · no verified access record attached
5. Lake Crescent — 570 ft max · real survey depth contours · Rainbow Trout, Kokanee, Cutthroat TroutWhy #5: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 3 public access sites
6. Riffe Lake — 360 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Crappie, BluegillWhy #6: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · no verified access record attached
7. Lake Sammamish — 25 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Crappie, Rainbow TroutWhy #7: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 11 public access sites
8. Sprague Lake — 15 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel CatfishWhy #8: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
9. Lake Wenatchee — 240 ft max · real survey depth contours · Cutthroat TroutWhy #9: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
10. Mason Lake — 90 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Rainbow Trout, Yellow Perch, KokaneeWhy #10: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
11. Badger Lake — 105 ft max · real survey depth contours · Rainbow Trout, Kokanee, Cutthroat TroutWhy #11: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
12. American Lake — 90 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Crappie, Rainbow TroutWhy #12: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
13. Diamond Lake — 55 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Rainbow Trout, Yellow PerchWhy #13: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
14. Quartermaster Harbor — 153 ft max · real survey depth contours · Cutthroat Trout, Surfperch, Pink Salmon, Chum SalmonWhy #14: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 2 public access sites
15. Lake Goodwin — 50 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Crappie, BluegillWhy #15: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
16. Lake Pleasant — 50 ft max · real survey depth contours · Rainbow Trout, Kokanee, Cutthroat Trout, Brown BullheadWhy #16: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
17. Dungeness Bay — 162 ft max · real survey depth contours · Chinook Salmon, Coho Salmon, Cutthroat TroutWhy #17: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 3 public access sites
18. Bumping Lake — 89 ft max · real survey depth contours · Rainbow Trout, Brook Trout, Kokanee, Cutthroat TroutWhy #18: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
19. Budd Inlet — 114 ft max · real survey depth contours · Cutthroat Trout, Chum Salmon, Pacific Chinook Salmon, Pacific Coho SalmonWhy #19: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 2 public access sites, 1 carry-in or shore-oriented
20. Merrill Lake — 77 ft max · real survey depth contours · Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout, Brook Trout, Cutthroat TroutWhy #20: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 2 public access sites
21. Sequim Bay — 126 ft max · real survey depth contours · Chinook Salmon, Coho Salmon, Cutthroat TroutWhy #21: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
22. Lake Sutherland — 80 ft max · real survey depth contours · Rainbow Trout, Kokanee, Cutthroat TroutWhy #22: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
23. Alkali Lake — 12 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Crappie, BluegillWhy #23: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
24. Lake Sawyer — 50 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Crappie, Rainbow TroutWhy #24: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 2 public access sites
25. Dyes Inlet — 134 ft max · real survey depth contours · Cutthroat Trout, Pink Salmon, Chum Salmon, Pacific Chinook SalmonWhy #25: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 2 public access sites, 1 carry-in or shore-oriented

…plus 69 more Washington waters holding cutthroat trout.

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When to fish cutthroat trout in Washington

• Spring 3–15 ft — Pre- and post-spawn cutthroat gang up at tributary mouths and cruise gravel shorelines — swing a spinner or fly through the inlet current.
• Summer 10–35 ft — Summer cutthroat hold along the first shoreline drop and off rocky points, sliding deeper as the surface warms — troll or cast the 15-30 ft edge.
• Fall 5–25 ft — Cooling water brings cutthroat back onto rocky points and gravel shoals to feed hard before winter.
• Winter 10–40 ft — Cold-tolerant like all trout — cutthroat hang on the deep shoreline drops and basin edges through the cold months.

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 coho salmon lakes · best steelhead lakes · best brown trout lakes · best brook trout lakes · best kokanee 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

Cutthroat Trout elsewhere: British Columbia · Montana · Wyoming · Alberta · Utah · Colorado · New Mexico · Idaho · Nevada