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32-acre lake near Chelan County. The lake tops out around 25 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.
The outline encloses 32 acres, worked by 0.9 miles of shoreline. A shoreline index of 1.2 says round and simple: fish relate to depth changes here, not shoreline features. The shallow band under 15 ft claims about 33% of the surface — that's where the groceries are. The basin spans about 0.4 mi end to end and 0.2 mi across at its widest. It sits in Chelan County. If the bite dies, Meadow Lake is 1 mi to the southeast.
Come spring, look for largemouth bass tight to the bank in 2 to 10 ft. They move out to 8 to 20 ft in summer and finish the year down in 8 to 25 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Main-lake point: a point around 13 ft that scores prime in fall. Best bite is early morning and the evening. A texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Secondary point (11 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (13 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (13 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 8 to 25 ft | midday | Break off the point (22 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
When the water first warms, smallmouth bass slide up into 3 to 12 ft. Summer is an 8 to 25 ft game here, winter an 8 to 25 ft one. Start at Main-lake point. It's a point holding about 13 ft of water and rates prime come fall. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. Keep a drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Secondary point (11 ft) | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 8 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (22 ft) | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 8 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (13 ft) | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 8 to 25 ft | midday | Break off the point (22 ft) | Blade bait, Hair jig |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: yellow perch in 3 to 12 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 8 to 25 ft before dropping to 8 to 25 ft for winter. The spot to know is Deep basin, a deep basin in about 25 ft of water that rates prime for yellow perch in fall. Plan around early morning in the warm months. Summer baits: a drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | open water | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 8 to 25 ft | dawn | Deep basin (25 ft) | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 8 to 25 ft | midday | Deep basin (25 ft) | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 8 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | Deep basin (25 ft) | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Come spring, look for bluegill tight to the bank in 1 to 6 ft. Expect a summer slide to 4 to 15 ft, then a winter hold in 10 to 25 ft. Start at Deep basin. It's a deep basin holding about 25 ft of water and rates prime come winter. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. A small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 6 ft | midday & dusk | open water | 1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings) |
| Summer | 4 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | open water | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday | Break off the point (22 ft) | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 10 to 25 ft | midday | Deep basin (25 ft) | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
When the water first warms, crappie slide up into 2 to 8 ft. Summer is a 10 to 25 ft game here, winter an 8 to 25 ft one. Start at Deep basin. It's a deep basin holding about 25 ft of water and rates prime come winter. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. Keep a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | open water | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 10 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (22 ft) | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 8 to 20 ft | dawn | Break off the point (22 ft) | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 8 to 25 ft | midday | Deep basin (25 ft) | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Structure-wise the chart holds 4 features, led in depth by Deep basin at roughly 25 ft.
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 Cortez specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Washington fishing regulations →
Lake Cortez is about 25 ft (8 m) deep at its deepest point. The depth chart here comes from real state fisheries GPS surveys, so the contours reflect measured depths.
Anglers target largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, yellow perch, bluegill, crappie on Lake Cortez. This isn't a survey of the water — none is published for it — but an informed estimate from the species common to the region, narrowed by this water's depth, size and each species' range.
Main-lake point is the top-rated area: a point in about 13 ft of water that rates prime for largemouth bass in fall. Scroll up to the map for the complete spot list by species and season.
For largemouth bass, 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.
Fishing on Lake Cortez 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.
Meadow Lake 1 mi · Crater Lake 16 mi · Stan Coffin Lake 21 mi · Quincy Lake 21 mi · Burke Lake 22 mi · Evergreen Reservoir 22 mi · Soap Lake 34 mi · Jameson Lake 36 mi · Alkali Lake 36 mi · Roses Lake 37 mi · Yakima River 38 mi · Wapato Lake 38 mi
See how Lake Cortez stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Washington · best smallmouth bass lakes in Washington · best crappie lakes in Washington · best bluegill lakes in Washington
More water nearby: Chelan County fishing maps (7 charts). 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.