Alta Lake Depth Map & Fishing Spots (WA)

Hatch outlook

Callibaetis (Speckled Dun)Active window

Typical here: Aug 15 – Sep 15 · the smaller fall brood

nymphthe hours before the midday emergence — nymphs rise off the weed tops in a vertical zigzag that can take hours — sources split between slow 2–4 inch strips with long pauses and a quicker steady retrieve; carry both speeds
dunmidday, roughly 11am into early afternoon
spinnermid-to-late-morning falls

Trout browse the weed-bed edges knocking nymphs loose, then cruise the flats sipping duns at midday — the marquee western lake mayfly.

The midday emergence puts cruisers over weed flats in under 20 ft: a casting bubble with a #14 Callibaetis nymph retrieved dead-slow with pauses is the honest match. Between hatch hours, small spoons and #1 inline spinners along the weed edges and drop-offs pick off the same fish.

The event happens over weed flats and weed-bed edges in 20 ft of water or less

Chironomids (stillwater midges)Active window

Typical here: May 1 – Oct 31

nymphearly morning, start of the day — fish the bloodworm ON the bottom — 4–6 inches off the mud before the emergence starts
pupathe cool morning hours are prime — as the emergence builds, slide the pupa up to 12–15 inches off bottom under the indicator; a little wind chop does the jigging

Concentrates by DEPTH BAND and mud type, not a fixed spot: roughly 20–25 ft in spring, deeper midsummer, in against the feeder creeks in summer heat, 5–25 ft in fall. Match the band.

This one translates almost perfectly: a slip float with a 1/64–1/100 oz midge-pattern jig set 4–15 inches off bottom over a mud flat, dead-sticked with the chop doing the work. Depth control is everything — no moving lure imitates a hanging pupa; the float rig IS the technique.

The event happens over open mud flats alongside weedlines, channels and basin edges; feeder-creek mouths in summer heat

Water boatman fall flightsActive window

Typical here: Aug 25 – Oct 10 · peaks on crisp, bright fall days after the first cold snap

adultmiddday-ish on calm, sunny fall days — the fishable moment is the splashdown: boatmen dive in headfirst trailing an air bubble and make repeated trips back to the surface — a fly or lure that dives nose-first on the drop imitates exactly this

Takes are seldom subtle — trout ravage boatmen as they hit the water and during their subsurface runs.

Tailor-made for hardware: a small 1/16 oz silver-bellied spoon or jig cast AT the rings of a splashdown sinks headfirst exactly like the natural — twitch-pause it back through the top few feet. On flight days fan-cast the shallow weed margins.

The event happens over near-shore shallows, weed beds and shoal margins on calm sunny fall afternoons

Grasshoppers (east-side summer)Active window

Typical here: Jun 15 – Sep 30

adultall day in high summer, best when afternoon wind knocks bugs onto the water

Pulls fish to the windward grassy banks and edges for months — fish the bank the wind blows ONTO.

The friendliest crossover of the summer: on lakes, drift the windward bank with a bubble-and-foam-hopper — the bubble's splash doesn't hurt a hopper presentation. On rivers, the same rig dead-drifted along the undercut grass banks, or small gold spinners under the banks between rises.

The event happens over grassy banks, undercut edges and windward shorelines

Next on this water

Damselfly migration · forageMay 15 – Jul 31 · in ~9 months

Recommendations come from depth structure and seasonal species behavior. Treat them as a starting point, not a guarantee. Contours here are interpolated from real agency depth surveys (state DNR / USACE). Never use for navigation. Always check local regulations.

Loading depth chart…

Recent catches at Alta Lake

Shared by DepthScout anglers. Exact spots stay private, always.

No shared catches here yet — be the first.Log a catch from the map above and share it to put Alta Lake on the board.

Fishing Alta Lake: what the data says

215-acre lake near Okanogan County. The lake tops out around 75 ft. The depth chart is built from real state fisheries GPS surveys, so the humps, channels and drop-offs you see are measured, not guessed. Here's the year, species by species, as the scoring engine sees it.

Drawn out, this is 215 acres of water rimmed by 2.5 miles of bank. Nearly circular (index 1.2), so the story is the bottom, not the bank. The shallow band under 15 ft claims about 26% of the surface — that's where the groceries are. End to end it runs roughly 1.1 mi, about 0.5 mi across. The water lies in Okanogan County. For a second option, Wapato Lake lies 13 mi southwest.

Kokanee fishing at Alta Lake

In spring, kokanee run shallow here, mostly 10 to 30 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 30 to 70 ft before dropping to 19 to 75 ft for winter. Winter kokanee concentrate at Deep basin, a prime-rated deep basin around 75 ft. Fish it in early morning and you'll meet the bite. You won't need more than a dodger + pink/orange squid on downrigger or a kokanee bug + corn most summer days.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	10 to 30 ft	dawn	Deep basin (75 ft)	Small dodger + squid (pink), Wedding-ring spinner + corn
Summer	30 to 70 ft	dawn	Deep basin (75 ft)	Dodger + pink/orange squid on downrigger, Kokanee bug + corn
Fall	5 to 40 ft	dawn	Break off the point (38 ft)	Dodger + squid (deeper red/purple), Small spoon
Winter	19 to 75 ft	dawn	Deep basin (75 ft)	Small glow jig + corn or maggot, Tiny spoon

Rainbow Trout fishing at Alta Lake

Spring puts rainbow trout in skinny water — 5 to 20 ft is the zone. Warm water sends them out to 8 to 30 ft; cold water stacks them in 8 to 40 ft. Break off the point is the standout, a drop-off at roughly 38 ft, rated prime for winter rainbow trout. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. A dodger + spoon (deep troll) or a flutter spoon covers the summer program.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	5 to 20 ft	dawn & dusk	Main-lake point (12 ft)	Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon
Summer	8 to 30 ft	dawn & dusk	Main-lake point (12 ft)	Dodger + spoon (deep troll), Flutter spoon
Fall	10 to 35 ft	dawn & dusk	Main-lake point (12 ft)	Casting spoon, Jerkbait over shoals
Winter	8 to 40 ft	dawn	Break off the point (38 ft)	Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white)

Notable structure

Structure-wise the chart holds 5 features, led in depth by Deep basin at roughly 75 ft.

Deep basin: deep basin, around 75 ft
Break off the point: drop-off, around 38 ft
Main-lake point: point, around 12 ft
Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 8 ft
Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 3 ft

Public access & boat ramps

Boat launch — ramp
Boat launch — ramp

Access data: OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) — community-mapped launches. Confirm conditions and fees locally before you launch.

Alta Lake stocking report

Date	Species	Count	Size
May 19	Kokanee	12,630	—
May 19	Kokanee	11,970	—
Apr 14	Rainbow trout	30,000	—

Source: WDFW fish-stocking reports, retrieved 2026-08-18.

Alta Lake fishing regulations

Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Washington waters are set by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife — and special regulations can apply to Alta Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.

Check the official Washington fishing regulations →

Common questions

How deep is Alta Lake?

Alta Lake is about 75 ft (23 m) deep at its deepest point. The depth chart here comes from real state fisheries GPS surveys, so the contours reflect measured depths.

What fish are in Alta Lake?

Anglers target kokanee, rainbow trout on Alta Lake.

Where is the best fishing spot on Alta Lake?

Deep basin is the top-rated area: a deep basin in about 75 ft of water that rates prime for kokanee in winter. Every other rated spot, per species and season, is on the map above.

When is the best time to fish Alta Lake?

For kokanee, the summer bite is best in early morning. Each species page section below lists the seasonal windows, and the map shows a live NOW badge when you're inside one.

Is Alta Lake stocked with fish?

Yes — per WDFW fish-stocking reports records, Alta Lake was most recently stocked May 19 with 12,630 kokanee. The full stocking history is listed above.

What are the fishing regulations for Alta Lake?

Fishing on Alta Lake is regulated by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. Check the official Washington regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.

Nearby waters

Wapato Lake 13 mi · Roses Lake 13 mi · Lake Chelan 19 mi · Grimes Lake 26 mi · Jameson Lake 27 mi · Methow River 29 mi · Davis Lake 30 mi · Big Twin Lake 32 mi · Green Lake 33 mi · Patterson Lake 33 mi · Pearrygin Lake 34 mi · Conconully Reservoir 37 mi

See how Alta Lake stacks up: best rainbow trout lakes in Washington · best kokanee lakes in Washington

More water nearby: Okanogan County fishing maps (21 charts). Browse all Washington fishing maps or see every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry credit: state fisheries survey programs. How we build these maps. Fish here with a sonar unit that logs? Send us your depth data and we'll improve this chart, credited to you. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.