Curlew Lake Depth Map & Fishing Spots (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 Curlew 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 Curlew Lake on the board.

Fishing Curlew Lake: what the data says

870-acre lake near Republic. The lake tops out around 120 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.

On the chart, Curlew Lake draws 881 acres inside 16 miles of shoreline, with 4 islands in the mix. The 3.9 development index tells the story — a convoluted bank whose fishable edge far outruns the acreage. About 32% of the surface sits shallower than 15 ft — that's the weed-and-bait zone. Figure 4.7 mi of water from one end to the other, 0.8 mi at the beam. You'll find it in Ferry County. For a second option, Bonaparte Lake lies 18 mi west.

Rainbow Trout fishing at Curlew Lake

The spring pattern is a shallow one: rainbow trout in 5 to 20 ft. As the season builds they drop to 8 to 30 ft, wintering in 8 to 40 ft. Top water on the chart: Main-lake point, a point in the 15 ft range, prime in spring. 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	Main-lake point (15 ft)	Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon
Summer	8 to 30 ft	dawn & dusk	Main-lake point (15 ft)	Dodger + spoon (deep troll), Flutter spoon
Fall	10 to 35 ft	dawn & dusk	Main-lake point (15 ft)	Casting spoon, Jerkbait over shoals
Winter	8 to 40 ft	dawn	Break off the point (47 ft)	Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white)

Largemouth Bass fishing at Curlew 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 15 to 35 ft for winter. Spring largemouth bass concentrate at Shallow bay flat, a prime-rated weed flat around 6 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 (6 ft)	Spinnerbait, Chatterbait
Summer	8 to 20 ft	dawn & dusk	Main-lake point (15 ft)	Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait
Fall	4 to 15 ft	midday & dawn	Main-lake point (15 ft)	Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait
Winter	15 to 35 ft	midday	Break off the point (47 ft)	Blade bait, Jigging spoon

Muskellunge fishing at Curlew Lake

The spring pattern is a shallow one: muskellunge in 3 to 12 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 8 to 25 ft before dropping to 15 to 35 ft for winter. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in about 6 ft of water that rates prime for muskellunge in spring. Plan around the evening and early morning in the warm months. Summer baits: a double-10 bucktail or a topwater (walk-the-dog / creeper) gets it done.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	3 to 12 ft	dusk	Shallow bay flat (6 ft)	Smaller bucktail (#8 blades), 6" glide bait
Summer	8 to 25 ft	dusk & dawn	Main-lake point (15 ft)	Double-10 bucktail, Topwater (walk-the-dog / creeper)
Fall	8 to 30 ft	midday & dusk	Main-lake point (15 ft)	Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), 10"+ glide bait
Winter	15 to 35 ft	midday	Deep basin (117 ft)	Large rubber, crawled slow

Yellow Perch fishing at Curlew Lake

Spring yellow perch on Curlew Lake hold shallow, usually 3 to 12 ft. They move out to 10 to 30 ft in summer and finish the year down in 15 to 35 ft. Put Shallow bay flat first on the milk run — a weed flat near 6 ft that grades prime for spring. 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 (6 ft)	Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank
Summer	10 to 30 ft	dawn	Shallow feeding flat (17 ft)	Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm
Fall	12 to 35 ft	midday	Deep basin (117 ft)	Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader
Winter	15 to 35 ft	midday & dawn	Shallow feeding flat (17 ft)	Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small)

Notable structure

13 pieces of structure are mapped here — Deep basin, around 117 ft, is the deepest of them.

Deep basin: deep basin, around 117 ft
Break off the point: drop-off, around 47 ft
Shallow feeding flat: feeding flat, around 17 ft
Main-lake point: point, around 15 ft
Dock / pier line: dock line, around 14 ft
Secondary point: point, around 13 ft
Dock / pier line: dock line, around 12 ft
Dock / pier line: dock line, around 11 ft
Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 6 ft
Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 5 ft
Dock / pier line: dock line, around 4 ft
Dock / pier line: dock line, around 4 ft
Dock / pier line: dock line, around 4 ft

Public access & boat ramps

Boat launch — ramp
Boat launch — ramp
Boat launch — ramp
Curlew Lake Boat Launch — ramp

Access data: OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) — community-mapped launches. Confirm conditions and fees locally before you launch.

Curlew Lake stocking report

Date	Species	Count	Size
May 18	Tiger Muskie	380	—
Oct 10, 2025	Kokanee	40,315	—
Oct 10, 2025	Rainbow trout	15,031	—
Oct 10, 2025	Rainbow trout	84,177	—

Source: WDFW fish-stocking reports, retrieved 2026-08-18.

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

Check the official Washington fishing regulations →

Common questions

How deep is Curlew Lake?

Curlew Lake is about 120 ft (37 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 Curlew Lake?

Anglers target rainbow trout, largemouth bass, muskellunge, yellow perch on Curlew Lake.

Where is the best fishing spot on Curlew Lake?

Shallow bay flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 6 ft of water that rates prime for largemouth bass in spring. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.

When is the best time to fish Curlew 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 Curlew Lake stocked with fish?

Yes — per WDFW fish-stocking reports records, Curlew Lake was most recently stocked May 18 with 380 tiger muskie. The full stocking history is listed above.

What are the fishing regulations for Curlew Lake?

Fishing on Curlew 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

Bonaparte Lake 18 mi · Lost Lake 19 mi · Lake Ellen 25 mi · Pierre Lake 27 mi · Matthews Lake 28 mi, BC · Wilgress Lake 29 mi, BC · Bolduc Lake 29 mi, BC · Jewel Lake 30 mi, BC · Crawfish Lake 31 mi · Sidley Lake 31 mi · Williams Lake 32 mi · Christina Lake 33 mi, BC

See how Curlew Lake stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Washington · best rainbow trout lakes in Washington · best yellow perch 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.