Clear Lake Depth Map & Fishing Spots (Pierce County, WA)

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Lake depth chart

Clear Lake, WA

Max 80 ft

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Where to start

Chironomids (stillwater midges) window is on — see the hatch outlook

Hatch outlook

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

Next on this water

Callibaetis (Speckled Dun) · mayflyApr 15 – Jul 15 · in ~6 months

Damselfly migration · forageMay 15 – Jul 31 · in ~7 months

Grasshoppers (east-side summer) · terrestrialsJun 15 – Sep 30 · in ~8 months

Water boatman fall flights · forageAug 25 – Oct 10 · in ~11 months

Recommendations come from depth structure and seasonal species behavior. Treat them as a starting point, not a guarantee. Contours here are generated from real agency depth surveys; use the survey badge for the provider, dataset, datum and measured coverage. Never use for navigation. Always check local regulations.

Depth · ft

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Recent catches at Clear Lake

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Fishing Clear Lake: what the data says

140-acre lake near Clear Lake. The lake tops out around 80 ft. The depth chart comes from published agency bathymetric survey data, so the contours are survey-derived rather than computer-modeled. The rest of this page walks each species through its year, using the map's own scoring.

On the chart, Clear Lake draws 140 acres inside 1.8 miles of shoreline. Nearly circular (index 1.1), so the story is the bottom, not the bank. 14% of the surface is littoral (under ~15 ft) — cover, weeds and forage water. The basin spans about 0.7 mi end to end and 0.4 mi across at its widest. The water lies in Pierce County. The nearest mapped water is Tanwax Lake, 1 mi to the north.

Rainbow Trout fishing at Clear Lake

In spring, rainbow trout run shallow here, mostly 5 to 20 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 8 to 30 ft before dropping to 8 to 40 ft for winter. Spring rainbow trout concentrate at Main-lake point, a good-rated point around 1 ft. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. You won't need more than a dodger + spoon (deep troll) or a flutter spoon most summer days.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	5 to 20 ft	dawn & dusk	Main-lake point (1 ft)	Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon
Summer	8 to 30 ft	dawn & dusk	open water	Dodger + spoon (deep troll), Flutter spoon
Fall	10 to 35 ft	dawn & dusk	Main-lake point (1 ft)	Casting spoon, Jerkbait over shoals
Winter	8 to 40 ft	dawn	open water	Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white)

Largemouth Bass fishing at Clear Lake

Start shallow in spring: largemouth bass sit in 2 to 10 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 8 to 20 ft, and winter fish settle into 15 to 35 ft. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a feeding flat in about 1 ft of water that rates prime for largemouth bass in spring. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. Throw a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait until the fish tell you otherwise.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	2 to 10 ft	dawn & dusk	Shallow bay flat (1 ft)	Spinnerbait, Chatterbait
Summer	8 to 20 ft	dawn & dusk	open water	Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait
Fall	4 to 15 ft	midday & dawn	Main-lake point (1 ft)	Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait
Winter	15 to 35 ft	midday	open water	Blade bait, Jigging spoon

Smallmouth Bass fishing at Clear Lake

The spring pattern is a shallow one: smallmouth bass in 3 to 12 ft. As the season builds they drop to 10 to 30 ft, wintering in 20 to 45 ft. Top water on the chart: Main-lake point, a point in the 1 ft range, good in spring. Time it for early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig gets it done.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	3 to 12 ft	dawn & dusk	Main-lake point (1 ft)	Ned rig, Tube jig
Summer	10 to 30 ft	dawn & dusk	Main-lake point (1 ft)	Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig
Fall	8 to 25 ft	midday & dawn	Main-lake point (1 ft)	Jerkbait, Blade bait
Winter	20 to 45 ft	midday	open water	Blade bait, Hair jig

Yellow Perch fishing at Clear Lake

When the water first warms, yellow perch slide up into 3 to 12 ft. By summer they slide out to 10 to 30 ft, and by winter most fish are in 15 to 35 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Shallow bay flat: a feeding flat around 1 ft that scores prime in spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning. Keep a drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm rigged through the warm months.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	3 to 12 ft	midday & dawn	Shallow bay flat (1 ft)	Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank
Summer	10 to 30 ft	dawn	open water	Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm
Fall	12 to 35 ft	midday	open water	Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader
Winter	15 to 35 ft	midday & dawn	open water	Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small)

Bluegill fishing at Clear Lake

Spring puts bluegill in skinny water — 1 to 6 ft is the zone. As the season builds they drop to 4 to 15 ft, wintering in 10 to 25 ft. Spring bluegill concentrate at Shallow bay flat, a prime-rated feeding flat around 1 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. A small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig covers the summer program.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	1 to 6 ft	midday & dusk	Shallow bay flat (1 ft)	1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings)
Summer	4 to 15 ft	dawn & dusk	Shallow bay flat (1 ft)	Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig
Fall	6 to 18 ft	midday	open water	Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped
Winter	10 to 25 ft	midday	open water	Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon

Crappie fishing at Clear Lake

The spring pattern is a shallow one: crappie in 2 to 8 ft. As the season builds they drop to 10 to 25 ft, wintering in 15 to 35 ft. Top water on the chart: Shallow bay flat, a feeding flat in the 1 ft range, good in spring. Time it for early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) gets it done.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	2 to 8 ft	midday & dawn	Shallow bay flat (1 ft)	1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub
Summer	10 to 25 ft	dawn & dusk	open water	Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled)
Fall	8 to 20 ft	dawn	open water	Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2")
Winter	15 to 35 ft	midday	open water	Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon

Clear Lake also holds kokanee (30 to 70 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.

Notable structure

Count 5 structure marks on this chart. The deepest, Deep basin, sits near 80 ft.

Deep basin: deep basin, around 80 ft
Break off the point: drop-off, around 80 ft
Main-lake 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

Clear Lake — ramp (concrete)

Access data: Washington WDFW — Water Access Sites. Confirm conditions and fees locally before you launch.

Clear Lake stocking report

Date	Species	Count	Size
May 19	Kokanee	40,623	—
May 7	Rainbow trout	4,320	—
May 6	Rainbow trout	3,840	—
Apr 17	Rainbow trout	1,180	—

Source: WDFW fish-stocking reports, retrieved 2026-09-23.

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

Check the official Washington fishing regulations →

Common questions

How deep is Clear Lake?

Clear Lake is about 80 ft (24 m) deep at its deepest point. The depth chart comes from published agency bathymetric survey data, so the contours are survey-derived rather than computer-modeled.

What fish are in Clear Lake?

Anglers target rainbow trout, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, yellow perch, bluegill, crappie, kokanee on Clear Lake.

Where is the best fishing spot on Clear Lake?

Shallow bay flat is the top-rated area: a feeding flat in about 1 ft of water that rates prime for bluegill in spring. Scroll up to the map for the complete spot list by species and season.

When is the best time to fish Clear Lake?

For rainbow 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 Clear Lake stocked with fish?

Yes — per WDFW fish-stocking reports records, Clear Lake was most recently stocked May 19 with 40,623 kokanee. The full stocking history is listed above.

What are the fishing regulations for Clear Lake?

Fishing on Clear 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

Tanwax Lake 1 mi · Ohop Lake 2 mi · Benbow Lakes 2 mi · Rapjohn Lake 4 mi · Lake Kapowsin 4 mi · Silver Lake 5 mi · Harts Lake 10 mi · Elbow Lake 11 mi · Clear Lake 12 mi · Mineral Lake 15 mi · Spanaway Lake 15 mi · Lake Lawrence 15 mi

See how Clear Lake 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. See every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry: published agency survey data. 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.