Bonaparte 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 Bonaparte 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 Bonaparte Lake on the board.

Fishing Bonaparte Lake: what the data says

160-acre lake near Okanogan County. The lake tops out around 110 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.

Brook Trout fishing at Bonaparte Lake

In spring, brook trout run shallow here, mostly 2 to 15 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 10 to 30 ft, and winter fish settle into 3 to 20 ft. Break off the point is the standout, a drop-off at roughly 8 ft, rated prime for winter brook trout. Time it for early morning and the evening. You won't need more than a small spoon fished deep or a trolled lake-clear wobbler + worm most summer days.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	2 to 15 ft	dawn & dusk	Main-lake point (1 ft)	Small inline spinner (gold), Tiny spoon
Summer	10 to 30 ft	dawn & dusk	Break off the point (8 ft)	Small spoon fished deep, Trolled lake-clear wobbler + worm
Fall	2 to 15 ft	midday & dawn	Main-lake point (1 ft)	Small spoon (orange), Spinner
Winter	3 to 20 ft	dawn	Break off the point (8 ft)	Small jigging spoon, Tungsten jig + plastic

Brown Trout fishing at Bonaparte Lake

Come spring, look for brown trout tight to the bank in 3 to 25 ft. Expect a summer slide to 25 to 60 ft, then a winter hold in 5 to 35 ft. Start at Break off the point. It's a drop-off holding about 8 ft of water and rates prime come winter. Prime time lands in after dark and early morning. A spoon at the thermocline or a deep stickbait (night) is the honest summer answer here.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	3 to 25 ft	dawn & dusk	Main-lake point (1 ft)	Stickbait off planer boards (shallow), Small spoon along mud lines
Summer	25 to 60 ft	night & dawn	Break off the point (8 ft)	Spoon at the thermocline, Deep stickbait (night)
Fall	5 to 30 ft	dusk & dawn	Break off the point (8 ft)	Jerkbait over gravel, Casting spoon
Winter	5 to 35 ft	dawn	Break off the point (8 ft)	Jigging spoon, Small stickbait (slow)

Kokanee fishing at Bonaparte Lake

In spring, kokanee run shallow here, mostly 10 to 30 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 30 to 70 ft, and winter fish settle into 20 to 80 ft. Break off the point is the standout, a drop-off at roughly 8 ft, rated good for fall kokanee. Time it for early morning. 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	Break off the point (8 ft)	Small dodger + squid (pink), Wedding-ring spinner + corn
Summer	30 to 70 ft	dawn	Deep basin (110 ft)	Dodger + pink/orange squid on downrigger, Kokanee bug + corn
Fall	5 to 40 ft	dawn	Break off the point (8 ft)	Dodger + squid (deeper red/purple), Small spoon
Winter	20 to 80 ft	dawn	Deep basin (110 ft)	Small glow jig + corn or maggot, Tiny spoon

Rainbow Trout fishing at Bonaparte Lake

Spring puts rainbow trout in skinny water — 5 to 20 ft is the zone. As the season builds they drop to 8 to 30 ft, wintering in 8 to 40 ft. Winter rainbow trout concentrate at Break off the point, a prime-rated drop-off around 8 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. 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	Break off the point (8 ft)	Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon
Summer	8 to 30 ft	dawn & dusk	Break off the point (8 ft)	Dodger + spoon (deep troll), Flutter spoon
Fall	10 to 35 ft	dawn & dusk	Break off the point (8 ft)	Casting spoon, Jerkbait over shoals
Winter	8 to 40 ft	dawn	Break off the point (8 ft)	Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white)

Notable structure

6 pieces of structure are mapped here — Deep basin, around 110 ft, is the deepest of them.

Deep basin: deep basin, around 110 ft
Break off the point: drop-off, around 8 ft
Main-lake point: point, around 1 ft
Secondary point: point, around 1 ft
Shallow bay flat: feeding flat, around 1 ft
Back-bay flat: feeding flat, around 1 ft

Public access & boat ramps

Boat launch — ramp

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

Bonaparte Lake stocking report

Date	Species	Count	Size
Jun 2	Kokanee	25,000	—
May 27	Rainbow trout	5,000	—

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

Bonaparte 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 Bonaparte Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.

Check the official Washington fishing regulations →

Common questions

How deep is Bonaparte Lake?

Bonaparte Lake is about 110 ft (34 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 Bonaparte Lake?

Anglers target brook trout, brown trout, kokanee, rainbow trout on Bonaparte Lake.

Where is the best fishing spot on Bonaparte Lake?

Break off the point is the top-rated area: a drop-off in about 8 ft of water that rates prime for rainbow trout in winter. Every other rated spot, per species and season, is on the map above.

When is the best time to fish Bonaparte Lake?

For brook trout, 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.

Is Bonaparte Lake stocked with fish?

Yes — per WDFW fish-stocking reports records, Bonaparte Lake was most recently stocked Jun 2 with 25,000 kokanee. The full stocking history is listed above.

What are the fishing regulations for Bonaparte Lake?

Fishing on Bonaparte 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

Lost Lake 3 mi · Sidley Lake 15 mi · Curlew Lake 18 mi · Whitestone Lake 19 mi · Wannacut Lake 22 mi · Osoyoos Lake 22 mi, WA/BC · Aeneas Lake 22 mi · Spectacle Lake 23 mi · Crawfish Lake 23 mi · Matthews Lake 24 mi, BC · Osoyoos Lake 24 mi, BC/WA · Conkle Lake 26 mi, BC

See how Bonaparte Lake stacks up: best rainbow trout lakes in Washington · best brown trout lakes in Washington · best brook 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.