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74 km of the Columbia River navigation corridor, with channel depths from USACE hydrographic survey. The river tops out around 117 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. The season-by-season read for each species follows, from the map's own numbers.
The outline encloses 20,179 acres, worked by 103.2 miles of shoreline. With a shoreline index of 5.2, this water is all arms and coves — edge habitat well beyond its acreage. Roughly 13% of the water is 15 ft or less, the band where the food chain lives. Call it 43.6 mi long by 7.9 mi wide at the broadest reach. If the bite dies, Black Lake is 21 mi to the west.
Come spring, look for rainbow trout tight to the bank in 5 to 20 ft. They move out to 8 to 30 ft in summer and finish the year down in 8 to 40 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Channel current seam (mile 17.4): a current seam around 26 ft that scores prime in summer. Best bite is early morning and the evening. A dodger + spoon (deep troll) or a flutter spoon is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Channel bar / point (mile 28.6) (14 ft) | Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon |
| Summer | 8 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Channel current seam (mile 17.4) (26 ft) | Dodger + spoon (deep troll), Flutter spoon |
| Fall | 10 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | Channel current seam (mile 17.4) (26 ft) | Casting spoon, Jerkbait over shoals |
| Winter | 8 to 40 ft | dawn | Channel current seam (mile 2.5) (38 ft) | Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white) |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: steelhead in 3 to 20 ft. As the season builds they drop to 5 to 45 ft, wintering in 4 to 15 ft. Top water on the chart: Channel current seam (mile 2.5), a current seam in the 38 ft range, prime in summer. Time it for early morning and the evening. Summer baits: an orange dodger + fly high in the column or a thin spoon off boards gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Channel bar / point (mile 28.6) (14 ft) | Small spoon or spinner at the mouths, Jig + waxworm under float |
| Summer | 5 to 45 ft | dawn & dusk | Channel current seam (mile 2.5) (38 ft) | Orange dodger + fly high in the column, Thin spoon off boards |
| Fall | 5 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Channel current seam (mile 17.4) (26 ft) | Spinner (silver/blue), Casting spoon |
| Winter | 4 to 15 ft | midday | Channel current seam (mile 2.5) (38 ft) | Float jig (black/purple), Bead rig |
Early season coho salmon use the shallows, holding in 3 to 25 ft. Expect a summer slide to 30 to 70 ft, then a winter hold in 20 to 60 ft. Put Channel current seam (mile 2.5) first on the milk run — a current seam near 38 ft that grades prime for summer. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Tie on a dodger + fly or a medium spoon above the thermocline and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Channel current seam (mile 17.4) (26 ft) | Small orange dodger + peanut fly, Thin spoon (orange/silver) |
| Summer | 30 to 70 ft | dawn & dusk | Channel current seam (mile 2.5) (38 ft) | Dodger + fly, Medium spoon above the thermocline |
| Fall | 8 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | Channel current seam (mile 2.5) (38 ft) | Casting spoon, Spinner (chartreuse) |
| Winter | 20 to 60 ft | midday | Channel current seam (mile 2.5) (38 ft) | Small spoon, slow troll |
Spring chinook salmon on Columbia River - Reach 1 of 5 hold shallow, usually 5 to 40 ft. They move out to 35 to 117 ft in summer and finish the year down in 30 to 90 ft. Put Channel current seam (mile 2.5) first on the milk run — a current seam near 38 ft that grades prime for spring. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a flasher + fly (green/white) or a magnum spoon on downrigger.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | Channel current seam (mile 2.5) (38 ft) | Trolled spoon (orange/gold), Stickbait off planer boards |
| Summer | 35 to 117 ft | dawn & dusk | Channel current seam (mile 2.5) (38 ft) | Flasher + fly (green/white), Magnum spoon on downrigger |
| Fall | 10 to 50 ft | dawn & dusk | Channel current seam (mile 2.5) (38 ft) | J-plug (glow), Flasher + fly |
| Winter | 30 to 90 ft | midday | Channel current seam (mile 2.5) (38 ft) | Small spoon on a slow troll, Stickbait deep |
Columbia River - Reach 1 of 5 carries 27 mapped structure features, topping out (or rather bottoming out) at Channel current seam (mile 10.0), about 60 ft down.
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 Columbia River - Reach 1 of 5 specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Washington fishing regulations →
Columbia River - Reach 1 of 5 is about 117 ft (36 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 rainbow trout, steelhead, coho salmon, chinook salmon on Columbia River - Reach 1 of 5. 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.
Channel current seam (mile 17.4) is the top-rated area: a current seam in about 26 ft of water that rates prime for rainbow trout in summer. Every other rated spot, per species and season, is on the map above.
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.
Fishing on Columbia River - Reach 1 of 5 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.
Black Lake 21 mi · Island Lake 25 mi · Loomis Lake 25 mi · Willapa Bay 30 mi · Willapa River 35 mi · Silver Lake 41 mi · Horseshoe Lake 48 mi · Cowlitz River 48 mi · Grays Harbor 54 mi · Lake Aberdeen 54 mi · Duck Lake 59 mi · Deep Lake 59 mi
See how Columbia River - Reach 1 of 5 stacks up: best rainbow trout lakes in Washington · best chinook salmon lakes in Washington · best coho salmon lakes in Washington · best steelhead lakes in Washington
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.