Clear Lake Depth Map & Fishing Spots (Thurston County, 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 Clear 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 Clear Lake on the board.

Fishing Clear Lake: what the data says

189-acre lake near Thurston County. The lake tops out around 25 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. What the data behind the map says about each species, season by season:

Rainbow Trout fishing at Clear Lake

The spring pattern is a shallow one: rainbow trout in 5 to 20 ft. As the season builds they drop to 7 to 25 ft, wintering in 5 to 25 ft. Top water on the chart: Old creek channel, a creek channel in the 24 ft range, prime in summer. Time it for early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a dodger + spoon (deep troll) or a flutter spoon gets it done.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	5 to 20 ft	dawn & dusk	Creek inflow (1 ft)	Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon
Summer	7 to 25 ft	dawn & dusk	Old creek channel (24 ft)	Dodger + spoon (deep troll), Flutter spoon
Fall	7 to 25 ft	dawn & dusk	Old creek channel (24 ft)	Casting spoon, Jerkbait over shoals
Winter	5 to 25 ft	dawn	Break off the point (25 ft)	Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white)

Largemouth Bass fishing at Clear Lake

In spring, largemouth bass run shallow here, mostly 2 to 10 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 8 to 20 ft before dropping to 8 to 25 ft for winter. Winter largemouth bass concentrate at Break off the point, a prime-rated drop-off around 25 ft. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. You won't need more than a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait most summer days.

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	Break off the point (25 ft)	Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait
Fall	4 to 15 ft	midday & dawn	Main-lake point (1 ft)	Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait
Winter	8 to 25 ft	midday	Break off the point (25 ft)	Blade bait, Jigging spoon

Smallmouth Bass fishing at Clear Lake

Spring puts smallmouth bass in skinny water — 3 to 12 ft is the zone. Warm water sends them out to 8 to 25 ft; cold water stacks them in 8 to 25 ft. Break off the point is the standout, a drop-off at roughly 25 ft, rated prime for winter smallmouth bass. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. A drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig covers the summer program.

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	8 to 25 ft	dawn & dusk	Break off the point (25 ft)	Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig
Fall	8 to 25 ft	midday & dawn	Break off the point (25 ft)	Jerkbait, Blade bait
Winter	8 to 25 ft	midday	Break off the point (25 ft)	Blade bait, Hair jig

Yellow Perch fishing at Clear Lake

Spring yellow perch on Clear Lake hold shallow, usually 3 to 12 ft. They move out to 8 to 25 ft in summer and finish the year down in 8 to 25 ft. Put Deep basin first on the milk run — a deep basin near 25 ft that grades prime for fall. The feeding windows run early morning. The summer box starts with a drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm.

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	8 to 25 ft	dawn	Deep basin (25 ft)	Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm
Fall	8 to 25 ft	midday	Deep basin (25 ft)	Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader
Winter	8 to 25 ft	midday & dawn	Deep basin (25 ft)	Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small)

Bluegill fishing at Clear Lake

The spring pattern is a shallow one: bluegill in 1 to 6 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 4 to 15 ft before dropping to 10 to 25 ft for winter. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in about 1 ft of water that rates prime for bluegill in spring. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Summer baits: a small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig gets it done.

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	Shallow bay flat (1 ft)	Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped
Winter	10 to 25 ft	midday	Deep basin (25 ft)	Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon

Crappie fishing at Clear Lake

Spring puts crappie in skinny water — 2 to 8 ft is the zone. Warm water sends them out to 10 to 25 ft; cold water stacks them in 8 to 25 ft. Deep basin is the standout, a deep basin at roughly 25 ft, rated prime for winter crappie. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. A jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) covers the summer program.

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	Old creek channel (24 ft)	Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled)
Fall	8 to 20 ft	dawn	Old creek channel (24 ft)	Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2")
Winter	8 to 25 ft	midday	Deep basin (25 ft)	Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon

Notable structure

The chart marks 7 structure features on Clear Lake; the deepest is Deep basin at about 25 ft.

Deep basin: deep basin, around 25 ft
Break off the point: drop-off, around 25 ft
Old creek channel: creek channel, around 24 ft
Main-lake point: point, around 1 ft
Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 1 ft
Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 1 ft
Creek inflow: inflow / creek mouth, 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 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 25 ft (8 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 Clear Lake?

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

Where is the best fishing spot on Clear Lake?

Break off the point is the top-rated area: a drop-off in about 25 ft of water that rates prime for largemouth bass in winter. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each 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.

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

Elbow Lake 1 mi · Harts Lake 5 mi · Lake Lawrence 5 mi · Silver Lake 7 mi · Rapjohn Lake 8 mi · Ohop Lake 11 mi · Clear Lake 12 mi · Tanwax Lake 13 mi · Benbow Lakes 14 mi · McIntosh Lake 14 mi · Mineral Lake 16 mi · Lake Kapowsin 16 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: Thurston County fishing maps (14 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.