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Fishing Lake Cavanaugh: what the data says
975-acre lake near Lake Cavanaugh. The lake tops out around 80 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. Here is how the season plays out for each species, straight from the data behind the map.
Cutthroat Trout fishing at Lake Cavanaugh
Start shallow in spring: cutthroat trout sit in 3 to 15 ft that time of year. By summer they slide out to 10 to 35 ft, and by winter most fish are in 10 to 40 ft. The spot to know is Creek inflow, a inflow / creek mouth in about 5 ft of water that rates prime for cutthroat trout in spring. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Summer baits: a trolled spoon (small) or a inline spinner gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Inline spinner (silver/gold), Small spoon |
| Summer | 10 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | Trolled spoon (small), Inline spinner |
| Fall | 5 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Casting spoon, Inline spinner |
| Winter | 10 to 40 ft | dawn | Small jigging spoon, Marabou jig |
Kokanee fishing at Lake Cavanaugh
In spring, kokanee run shallow here, mostly 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. Deep basin is the standout, a deep basin at roughly 80 ft, rated prime for winter kokanee. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning. Tie on a dodger + pink/orange squid on downrigger or a kokanee bug + corn and you're in the game.
| 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 Lake Cavanaugh
Spring rainbow trout on Lake Cavanaugh hold shallow, usually 5 to 20 ft. 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 Creek inflow: a inflow / creek mouth around 5 ft that scores prime in spring. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a dodger + spoon (deep troll) or a flutter spoon gets it done.
| 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
- Deep basin: deep basin, around 80 ft
- Break off the point: drop-off, around 51 ft
- Old creek channel: creek channel, around 50 ft
- Creek inflow: inflow / creek mouth, around 44 ft
- Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 16 ft
- Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 14 ft
- Secondary point: point, around 12 ft
- Main-lake point: point, around 8 ft
- Creek inflow: inflow / creek mouth, around 5 ft
Common questions
How deep is Lake Cavanaugh?
Lake Cavanaugh is about 80 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 Lake Cavanaugh?
Anglers target rainbow trout, kokanee, cutthroat trout on Lake Cavanaugh.
Where is the best fishing spot on Lake Cavanaugh?
Creek inflow is the top-rated area: a inflow / creek mouth in about 5 ft of water that rates prime for cutthroat trout in spring. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
When is the best time to fish Lake Cavanaugh?
For cutthroat 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
Riley Lake · Lake Armstrong · Bryant Lake · Lake McMurray · Beaver Lake · Clear Lake
See how Lake Cavanaugh stacks up: best rainbow trout lakes in Washington · best kokanee lakes in Washington · best cutthroat trout 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.