Best english sole lakes in Washington
11 Washington waters hold english sole, 11 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. A soft-bottom Puget Sound flatfish associated with sand and mud flats beside deeper channels; follow the current location-specific health advisory wherever one applies.
- Quartermaster Harbor — 153 ft max · survey depth data · Cutthroat Trout, Surfperch, Pink Salmon, Chum SalmonWhy #1: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 2 public access sites
- Inner Elliott Bay — 551 ft max · survey depth data · Pacific Chinook Salmon, Pacific Coho Salmon, English Sole, LingcodWhy #2: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 2 public access sites, 1 carry-in or shore-oriented
- Dyes Inlet — 134 ft max · survey depth data · Cutthroat Trout, Pink Salmon, Chum Salmon, Pacific Chinook SalmonWhy #3: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 2 public access sites, 1 carry-in or shore-oriented
- Sinclair Inlet — 68 ft max · survey depth data · Cutthroat Trout, Chum Salmon, Pacific Chinook Salmon, Pacific Coho SalmonWhy #4: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 3 public access sites
- Poverty Bay — 509 ft max · survey depth data · Cutthroat Trout, Pink Salmon, Chum Salmon, Pacific Chinook SalmonWhy #5: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site, 1 carry-in or shore-oriented
- Port Gamble Bay — 66 ft max · survey depth data · Cutthroat Trout, Pink Salmon, Chum Salmon, Pacific Chinook SalmonWhy #6: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 2 public access sites
- Eagle Harbor — 66 ft max · survey depth data · Pink Salmon, Chum Salmon, Pacific Chinook Salmon, Pacific Coho SalmonWhy #7: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
- Gig Harbor — 40 ft max · survey depth data · Cutthroat Trout, Pink Salmon, Chum Salmon, Pacific Chinook SalmonWhy #8: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 3 public access sites, 1 carry-in or shore-oriented
- Blakely Harbor — 167 ft max · survey depth data · Cutthroat Trout, Pink Salmon, Chum Salmon, Pacific Chinook SalmonWhy #9: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
- Shilshole Bay — 146 ft max · survey depth data · Pink Salmon, Chum Salmon, Pacific Chinook Salmon, Pacific Coho SalmonWhy #10: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 2 public access sites
- Browns Bay — 322 ft max · survey depth data · Cutthroat Trout, Pink Salmon, Chum Salmon, Pacific Chinook SalmonWhy #11: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
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How to use this ranking
The order is a map-planning ranking, not a claim about today's fish population. It favors larger mapped waters and gives survey-backed contours a three-times data-quality boost. Agency population surveys, current regulations, access and recent conditions should make the final decision.
Compare maximum depth across 37,233 lake records · See Washington waters with public access data
When to fish english sole in Washington
- Spring 30–120 ft — Work clean sand or mud beside a measured channel edge; check the current location-specific Washington DOH serving guidance before keeping fish.
- Summer 10–90 ft — Juveniles may use shallower soft bottom while adults range deeper; avoid disturbing contaminated sediment and follow the current local advisory.
- Fall 25–140 ft — Follow clean sand or mud down the channel shoulder as water cools and recheck current marine-area rules and location-specific consumption guidance.
- Winter 40–180 ft — Use a slow bottom presentation on safe-weather days; exact trawl occurrence does not predict a daily bite.
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