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72 km of the Columbia River navigation corridor, with channel depths from USACE hydrographic survey. The river tops out around 90 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. Every species below gets its seasonal read from the same numbers driving the chart.
Columbia River - Reach 5 of 5 maps at 20,941 acres behind 107.2 miles of shoreline. A development index of 5.3 means a maze of bays and points: far more casting targets than a round bowl of the same size. About 37% of the surface sits shallower than 15 ft — that's the weed-and-bait zone. Tip to tip the water measures near 50.4 mi with a 4.2-mi widest point. Giffin Lake sits 31 mi north — the closest neighbouring chart.
Early season smallmouth bass use the shallows, holding in 3 to 12 ft. Expect a summer slide to 10 to 30 ft, then a winter hold in 20 to 45 ft. Put Channel bar / point (mile 13.7) first on the milk run — a point near 20 ft that grades prime for fall. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Tie on a drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Current seam (mile 11.8) (7 ft) | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Channel current seam (mile 2.5) (19 ft) | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 8 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | Channel bar / point (mile 13.7) (20 ft) | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 20 to 45 ft | midday | Channel current seam (mile 9.9) (42 ft) | Blade bait, Hair jig |
Start shallow in spring: steelhead sit in 3 to 20 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 5 to 45 ft, and winter fish settle into 4 to 15 ft. The spot to know is Channel current seam (mile 2.5), a current seam in about 19 ft of water that rates prime for steelhead in summer. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. Throw an orange dodger + fly high in the column or a thin spoon off boards until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Channel current seam (mile 2.5) (19 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) (19 ft) | Orange dodger + fly high in the column, Thin spoon off boards |
| Fall | 5 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Channel current seam (mile 2.5) (19 ft) | Spinner (silver/blue), Casting spoon |
| Winter | 4 to 15 ft | midday | Current seam (mile 11.8) (7 ft) | Float jig (black/purple), Bead rig |
Spring channel catfish on Columbia River - Reach 5 of 5 hold shallow, usually 3 to 12 ft. By summer they slide out to 8 to 25 ft, and by winter most fish are in 20 to 40 ft. The chart's best answer is Main-channel hole (mile 15.5) — creek channel, 23 ft, prime for summer. Prime time lands in after dark and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | Main-channel hole (mile 30.4) (13 ft) | |
| Summer | 8 to 25 ft | night & dusk | Main-channel hole (mile 15.5) (23 ft) | |
| Fall | 10 to 30 ft | dusk | Main-channel hole (mile 15.5) (23 ft) | |
| Winter | 20 to 40 ft | midday | Main-channel hole (mile 0.6) (34 ft) |
28 pieces of structure are mapped here — Channel current seam (mile 24.9), around 57 ft, is the deepest of them.
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 5 of 5 specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Washington fishing regulations →
Columbia River - Reach 5 of 5 is about 90 ft (27 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 smallmouth bass, steelhead, channel catfish on Columbia River - Reach 5 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 bar / point (mile 13.7) is the top-rated area: a point in about 20 ft of water that rates prime for smallmouth bass in fall. The map above holds the full rated-spot list for every species and season.
For smallmouth 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 Columbia River - Reach 5 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.
Giffin Lake 31 mi, WA · Cold Springs Reservoir 33 mi, OR · Saddle Mountain Lake 61 mi, WA · John Day River 72 mi, OR · Yakima River 77 mi, WA · Wenas Lake 80 mi, WA · Lower Goose Lake 81 mi, WA · Upper Goose Lake 82 mi, WA · Long Lake 82 mi, WA · Canal Lake 82 mi, WA · Windmill Lake 83 mi, WA · Soda Lake 84 mi, WA
See how Columbia River - Reach 5 of 5 stacks up: best smallmouth bass lakes in Washington · best channel catfish 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.