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25-acre lake near Kapowsin. The lake tops out around 20 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. Species by species, here's what the data says the year looks like.
Benbow Lakes maps at 25 acres behind 0.8 miles of shoreline. A shoreline index of 1.1 says round and simple: fish relate to depth changes here, not shoreline features. 71% of the surface is littoral (under ~15 ft) — cover, weeds and forage water. Figure 0.3 mi of water from one end to the other, 0.2 mi at the beam. Pierce County claims this one. Its nearest charted neighbour, Tanwax Lake, is 1 mi to the southwest.
Early season largemouth bass use the shallows, holding in 2 to 10 ft. Expect a summer slide to 8 to 20 ft, then a winter hold in 6 to 20 ft. Put Main-lake point first on the milk run — a point near 4 ft that grades prime for fall. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Tie on a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (4 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (15 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (4 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 6 to 20 ft | midday | Break off the point (15 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Spring smallmouth bass on Benbow Lakes hold shallow, usually 3 to 12 ft. By summer they slide out to 6 to 20 ft, and by winter most fish are in 6 to 20 ft. The chart's best answer is Break off the point — drop-off, 15 ft, prime for winter. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (4 ft) | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 6 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (15 ft) | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 6 to 20 ft | midday & dawn | Break off the point (15 ft) | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 6 to 20 ft | midday | Break off the point (15 ft) | Blade bait, Hair jig |
Spring puts yellow perch in skinny water — 3 to 12 ft is the zone. As the season builds they drop to 6 to 20 ft, wintering in 6 to 20 ft. Fall yellow perch concentrate at Deep basin, a prime-rated deep basin around 20 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning. A drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | open water | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 6 to 20 ft | dawn | Deep basin (20 ft) | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 6 to 20 ft | midday | Deep basin (20 ft) | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 6 to 20 ft | midday & dawn | Deep basin (20 ft) | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Spring bluegill on Benbow Lakes hold shallow, usually 1 to 6 ft. They move out to 4 to 15 ft in summer and finish the year down in 6 to 20 ft. Put Deep basin first on the milk run — a deep basin near 20 ft that grades prime for winter. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 6 ft | midday & dusk | open water | 1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings) |
| Summer | 4 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | open water | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday | Break off the point (15 ft) | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 6 to 20 ft | midday | Deep basin (20 ft) | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
Spring crappie on Benbow Lakes hold shallow, usually 2 to 8 ft. By summer they slide out to 6 to 20 ft, and by winter most fish are in 6 to 20 ft. The chart's best answer is Deep basin — deep basin, 20 ft, prime for winter. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled).
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | open water | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 6 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (15 ft) | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 8 to 20 ft | dawn | Break off the point (15 ft) | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 6 to 20 ft | midday | Deep basin (20 ft) | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Benbow Lakes carries 3 mapped structure features, topping out (or rather bottoming out) at Deep basin, about 20 ft down.
Access data: Washington WDFW — Water Access Sites. Confirm conditions and fees locally before you launch.
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 Benbow Lakes specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Washington fishing regulations →
Benbow Lakes is about 20 ft (6 m) deep at its deepest point. The depth chart here comes from real state fisheries GPS surveys, so the contours reflect measured depths.
Anglers target largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, yellow perch, bluegill, crappie on Benbow Lakes. This isn't a survey of the water — none is published for it — but an informed estimate from the species common to the region, narrowed by this water's depth, size and each species' range.
Main-lake point is the top-rated area: a point in about 4 ft of water that rates prime for largemouth bass in fall. Every other rated spot, per species and season, is on the map above.
For largemouth bass, the summer bite is best in early morning and the evening. Each species page section below lists the seasonal windows, and the map shows a live NOW badge when you're inside one.
Fishing on Benbow Lakes 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.
Tanwax Lake 1 mi · Lake Kapowsin 2 mi · Clear Lake 2 mi · Ohop Lake 5 mi · Rapjohn Lake 6 mi · Silver Lake 7 mi · Harts Lake 11 mi · Elbow Lake 13 mi · Spanaway Lake 14 mi · Clear Lake 14 mi · Lake Lawrence 17 mi · Mineral Lake 17 mi
See how Benbow Lakes stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Washington · best smallmouth bass lakes in Washington · best crappie lakes in Washington · best bluegill lakes in Washington
More water nearby: Pierce County fishing maps (18 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.