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Fishing Horseshoe Lake: what the data says
120-acre lake near Clark County. The lake tops out around 14 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.
Rainbow Trout fishing at Horseshoe Lake
Start shallow in spring: rainbow trout sit in 4 to 14 ft that time of year. Summer fish stay in 4 to 14 ft, and winter fish hold in 3 to 14 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Break off the point: a drop-off around 4 ft that scores prime 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 | 4 to 14 ft | dawn & dusk | Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon |
| Summer | 4 to 14 ft | dawn & dusk | Dodger + spoon (deep troll), Flutter spoon |
| Fall | 4 to 14 ft | dawn & dusk | Casting spoon, Jerkbait over shoals |
| Winter | 3 to 14 ft | dawn | Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white) |
Largemouth Bass fishing at Horseshoe Lake
Start shallow in spring: largemouth bass sit in 2 to 10 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 4 to 14 ft, and winter fish settle into 4 to 14 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Shallow bay flat: a weed flat around 5 ft that scores prime in spring. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. A texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 4 to 14 ft | dawn & dusk | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 14 ft | midday & dawn | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 4 to 14 ft | midday | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Smallmouth Bass fishing at Horseshoe Lake
Start shallow in spring: smallmouth bass sit in 3 to 12 ft that time of year. They move out to 4 to 14 ft in summer and finish the year down in 4 to 14 ft. Main-lake point is the standout, a point at roughly 5 ft, rated prime for fall smallmouth bass. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Tie on a drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 4 to 14 ft | dawn & dusk | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 4 to 14 ft | midday & dawn | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 4 to 14 ft | midday | Blade bait, Hair jig |
Yellow Perch fishing at Horseshoe Lake
Spring yellow perch on Horseshoe Lake hold shallow, usually 3 to 12 ft. They move out to 4 to 14 ft in summer and finish the year down in 4 to 14 ft. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in about 5 ft of water that rates prime for yellow perch in spring. Best bite is early morning. Tie on a drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 4 to 14 ft | dawn | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 4 to 14 ft | midday | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 4 to 14 ft | midday & dawn | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Bluegill fishing at Horseshoe Lake
In spring, bluegill run shallow here, mostly 1 to 6 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 4 to 14 ft, and winter fish settle into 4 to 14 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Shallow bay flat: a weed flat around 5 ft that scores prime in spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 6 ft | midday & dusk | 1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings) |
| Summer | 4 to 14 ft | dawn & dusk | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 4 to 14 ft | midday | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 4 to 14 ft | midday | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
Crappie fishing at Horseshoe Lake
Start shallow in spring: crappie sit in 2 to 8 ft that time of year. By summer they slide out to 4 to 14 ft, and by winter most fish are in 4 to 14 ft. Deep basin is the standout, a deep basin at roughly 13 ft, rated prime for winter crappie. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 4 to 14 ft | dawn & dusk | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 4 to 14 ft | dawn | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 4 to 14 ft | midday | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Notable structure
- Deep basin: deep basin, around 13 ft
- Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 8 ft
- Main-lake point: point, around 5 ft
- Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 5 ft
- Break off the point: drop-off, around 4 ft
- Secondary point: point, around 2 ft
Common questions
How deep is Horseshoe Lake?
Horseshoe Lake is about 14 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 Horseshoe Lake?
Anglers target largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, crappie, bluegill, rainbow trout, yellow perch on Horseshoe Lake.
Where is the best fishing spot on Horseshoe Lake?
Shallow bay flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 5 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 Horseshoe 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.
Nearby waters
Battle Ground Lake · Silver Lake · Lacamas Lake · Round Lake · Merrill Lake · Cowlitz River
See how Horseshoe 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
Browse all Washington fishing maps or every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry credit: state fisheries survey programs. How we build these maps. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.