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Fishing Crater Lake: what the data says
13,178-acre caldera lake in Crater Lake National Park and the deepest lake in the United States at 1,947 ft. Mapped by USGS multibeam sonar. Introduced kokanee salmon and rainbow trout are caught along the shoreline shelf and around Wizard Island; no license or limit. The lake tops out around 1947 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. Below is the species-by-species picture, pulled from the same data the map uses.
Kokanee fishing at Crater Lake
Spring kokanee on Crater Lake hold shallow, usually 10 to 30 ft. By summer they slide out to 30 to 70 ft, and by winter most fish are in 20 to 80 ft. The spot to know is Offshore hump, a offshore hump in about 67 ft of water that rates prime for kokanee in summer. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning. Summer baits: a dodger + pink/orange squid on downrigger or a kokanee bug + corn gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 10 to 30 ft | dawn | Small dodger + squid (pink), Wedding-ring spinner + corn |
| Summer | 30 to 70 ft | dawn | Dodger + pink/orange squid on downrigger, Kokanee bug + corn |
| Fall | 5 to 40 ft | dawn | Dodger + squid (deeper red/purple), Small spoon |
| Winter | 20 to 80 ft | dawn | Small glow jig + corn or maggot, Tiny spoon |
Rainbow Trout fishing at Crater Lake
Start shallow in spring: rainbow trout sit in 5 to 20 ft that time of year. By summer they slide out to 8 to 30 ft, and by winter most fish are in 8 to 40 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Sharp break: a drop-off around 112 ft that scores good in winter. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. A dodger + spoon (deep troll) or a flutter spoon covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon |
| Summer | 8 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Dodger + spoon (deep troll), Flutter spoon |
| Fall | 10 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | Casting spoon, Jerkbait over shoals |
| Winter | 8 to 40 ft | dawn | Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white) |
Notable structure
- Shoreline point: point, around 137 ft
- Sharp break: drop-off, around 112 ft
- Offshore hump: offshore hump, around 78 ft
- Offshore hump: offshore hump, around 67 ft
- Offshore hump: offshore hump, around 58 ft
- Offshore hump: offshore hump, around 39 ft
- Offshore hump: offshore hump, around 39 ft
Common questions
How deep is Crater Lake?
Crater Lake is about 1947 ft 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 Crater Lake?
Anglers target rainbow trout, kokanee on Crater Lake.
Where is the best fishing spot on Crater Lake?
Offshore hump is the top-rated area: a offshore hump in about 67 ft of water that rates prime for kokanee in summer. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
When is the best time to fish Crater Lake?
For kokanee, the summer bite is best in early morning. Each species page section below lists the seasonal windows, and the map shows a live NOW badge when you're inside one.
Nearby waters
Miller Lake · Agency Lake · Fourmile Lake · Crescent Lake · Fish Lake · Howard Prairie Lake
See how Crater Lake stacks up: best rainbow trout lakes in Oregon
Browse all Oregon fishing maps or every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry credit: state fisheries survey programs. How we build these maps. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.