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975-acre lake near Lake Cavanaugh. The lake tops out around 80 ft. The depth chart comes from published agency bathymetric survey data, so the contours are survey-derived rather than computer-modeled. Here is how the season plays out for each species, straight from the data behind the map.
Drawn out, this is 975 acres of water rimmed by 5.7 miles of bank. A shoreline index of 1.3 says round and simple: fish relate to depth changes here, not shoreline features. About 10% of the surface sits shallower than 15 ft — that's the weed-and-bait zone. Call it 2.6 mi long by 0.9 mi wide at the broadest reach. The water lies in Skagit County. For a second option, Riley Lake lies 6 mi southeast.
Early season cutthroat trout use the shallows, holding in 3 to 15 ft. Summer is a 10 to 35 ft game here, winter a 10 to 40 ft one. The chart's best answer is Creek inflow — inflow / creek mouth, 1 ft, prime for spring. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Tie on a trolled spoon (small) or an inline spinner and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Creek inflow (1 ft) | Inline spinner (silver/gold), Small spoon |
| Summer | 10 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (1 ft) | Trolled spoon (small), Inline spinner |
| Fall | 5 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (1 ft) | Casting spoon, Inline spinner |
| Winter | 10 to 40 ft | dawn | Break off the point (51 ft) | Small jigging spoon, Marabou jig |
Start shallow in spring: kokanee sit in 10 to 30 ft that time of year. Warm water sends them out to 30 to 70 ft; cold water stacks them in 20 to 80 ft. Top water on the chart: Deep basin, a deep basin in the 80 ft range, prime in winter. Fish it in early morning and you'll meet the bite. Throw a dodger + pink/orange squid on downrigger or a kokanee bug + corn until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 10 to 30 ft | dawn | open water | Small dodger + squid (pink), Wedding-ring spinner + corn |
| Summer | 30 to 70 ft | dawn | Deep basin (80 ft) | Dodger + pink/orange squid on downrigger, Kokanee bug + corn |
| Fall | 5 to 40 ft | dawn | Creek inflow (1 ft) | Dodger + squid (deeper red/purple), Small spoon |
| Winter | 20 to 80 ft | dawn | Deep basin (80 ft) | Small glow jig + corn or maggot, Tiny spoon |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: rainbow trout in 5 to 20 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 8 to 30 ft before dropping to 8 to 40 ft for winter. The spot to know is Creek inflow, an inflow / creek mouth in about 1 ft of water that rates good for rainbow trout in spring. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. 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 | Creek inflow (1 ft) | Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon |
| Summer | 8 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Creek inflow (1 ft) | Dodger + spoon (deep troll), Flutter spoon |
| Fall | 10 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (1 ft) | Casting spoon, Jerkbait over shoals |
| Winter | 8 to 40 ft | dawn | Creek inflow (45 ft) | Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white) |
In spring, largemouth bass run shallow here, mostly 2 to 10 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 8 to 20 ft, and winter fish settle into 15 to 35 ft. Dock / pier line is the standout, a dock line at roughly 4 ft, rated prime for spring largemouth bass. Time it for early morning and the evening. 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 | Dock / pier line (4 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow feeding flat (16 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (1 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | open water | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
11 pieces of structure are mapped here — Deep basin, around 80 ft, is the deepest of them.
Access data: Washington WDFW — Water Access Sites. Confirm conditions and fees locally before you launch.
| Date | Species | Count | Size |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 9 | Kokanee | 49,864 | — |
| May 19 | Cutthroat trout | 10,500 | — |
| Sep 22, 2025 | Kokanee | 13,150 | — |
Source: WDFW fish-stocking reports, retrieved 2026-09-23.
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 Lake Cavanaugh specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Washington fishing regulations →
Lake Cavanaugh is about 80 ft (24 m) deep at its deepest point. The depth chart comes from published agency bathymetric survey data, so the contours are survey-derived rather than computer-modeled.
Anglers target cutthroat trout, kokanee, rainbow trout, largemouth bass on Lake Cavanaugh.
Deep basin is the top-rated area: a deep basin in about 80 ft of water that rates prime for kokanee in winter. Every other rated spot, per species and season, is on the map above.
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.
Yes — per WDFW fish-stocking reports records, Lake Cavanaugh was most recently stocked Sep 9 with 49,864 kokanee. The full stocking history is listed above.
Fishing on Lake Cavanaugh 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.
Riley Lake 6 mi · Lake Armstrong 8 mi · Bryant Lake 9 mi · Lake McMurray 10 mi · Sixteen Lake 13 mi · Beaver Lake 13 mi · Sunday Lake 13 mi · Clear Lake 14 mi · Lake Ketchum 16 mi · Lake Ki 17 mi · Lake Loma 17 mi · Crabapple Lake 18 mi
See how Lake Cavanaugh stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Washington · best rainbow trout lakes in Washington · best kokanee lakes in Washington · best cutthroat trout lakes in Washington
More water nearby: Skagit County fishing maps (9 charts). Browse all Washington fishing maps. See every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry: published agency survey data. 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.