Lake Cushman 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 on this water are approximations. Never use for navigation. Always check local regulations.

Loading depth chart…

Recent catches at Lake Cushman

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 Lake Cushman on the board.

Fishing Lake Cushman: what the data says

4,014-acre lake in Washington. The lake tops out around 147 ft. Contours on this water are modeled from its actual shoreline and max depth. Good for finding likely water, never for navigation. The rest of this page walks each species through its year, using the map's own scoring.

The outline encloses 4,004 acres, worked by 25.5 miles of shoreline. An index of 2.9 puts the bank firmly in maze territory: point after pocket after cove, every one a casting target. 31% of the surface is littoral (under ~15 ft), per the model — cover, weeds and forage water. End to end it runs roughly 7.5 mi, about 3.2 mi across. If the bite dies, U Lake is 9 mi to the east.

Rainbow Trout fishing at Lake Cushman

When the water first warms, rainbow trout slide up into 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 Sharp break: a drop-off around 28 ft that scores prime in winter. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Keep a dodger + spoon (deep troll) or a flutter spoon rigged through the warm months.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	5 to 20 ft	dawn & dusk	Sharp break (4 ft)	Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon
Summer	8 to 30 ft	dawn & dusk	Sharp break (28 ft)	Dodger + spoon (deep troll), Flutter spoon
Fall	10 to 35 ft	dawn & dusk	Main-lake point (37 ft)	Casting spoon, Jerkbait over shoals
Winter	8 to 40 ft	dawn	Sharp break (28 ft)	Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white)

Brown Trout fishing at Lake Cushman

The spring pattern is a shallow one: brown trout in 3 to 25 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 25 to 60 ft before dropping to 5 to 35 ft for winter. The spot to know is Sharp break, a drop-off in about 60 ft of water that rates prime for brown trout in summer. Plan around after dark and early morning in the warm months. Summer baits: a spoon at the thermocline or a deep stickbait (night) gets it done.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	3 to 25 ft	dawn & dusk	Rock reef (4 ft)	Stickbait off planer boards (shallow), Small spoon along mud lines
Summer	25 to 60 ft	night & dawn	Sharp break (60 ft)	Spoon at the thermocline, Deep stickbait (night)
Fall	5 to 30 ft	dusk & dawn	Rock reef (4 ft)	Jerkbait over gravel, Casting spoon
Winter	5 to 35 ft	dawn	Sharp break (28 ft)	Jigging spoon, Small stickbait (slow)

Brook Trout fishing at Lake Cushman

Come spring, look for brook trout tight to the bank in 2 to 15 ft. Expect a summer slide to 10 to 30 ft, then a winter hold in 3 to 20 ft. Start at Sharp break. It's a drop-off holding about 28 ft of water and rates prime come summer. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. A small spoon fished deep or a trolled lake-clear wobbler + worm is the honest summer answer here.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	2 to 15 ft	dawn & dusk	Shallow bay flat (6 ft)	Small inline spinner (gold), Tiny spoon
Summer	10 to 30 ft	dawn & dusk	Sharp break (28 ft)	Small spoon fished deep, Trolled lake-clear wobbler + worm
Fall	2 to 15 ft	midday & dawn	Rock reef (4 ft)	Small spoon (orange), Spinner
Winter	3 to 20 ft	dawn	Sharp break (4 ft)	Small jigging spoon, Tungsten jig + plastic

Yellow Perch fishing at Lake Cushman

In spring, yellow perch run shallow here, mostly 3 to 12 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 10 to 30 ft before dropping to 15 to 35 ft for winter. Spring yellow perch concentrate at Shallow bay flat, a prime-rated weed flat around 6 ft. Fish it in early morning and you'll meet the bite. You won't need more than a drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm most summer days.

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	Sharp break (28 ft)	Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm
Fall	12 to 35 ft	midday	Sharp break (28 ft)	Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader
Winter	15 to 35 ft	midday & dawn	Offshore hump (17 ft)	Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small)

Notable structure

Structure-wise the chart holds 13 features, led in depth by Deep basin at roughly 125 ft.

Deep basin: deep basin, around 125 ft
Break off the point: drop-off, around 66 ft
Sharp break: drop-off, around 60 ft
Main-lake point: point, around 37 ft
Secondary point: point, around 37 ft
Sharp break: drop-off, around 28 ft
Offshore hump: offshore hump, around 17 ft
Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 6 ft
Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 6 ft
Sharp break: drop-off, around 4 ft
Rock reef: rock pile, around 4 ft
Rock reef: rock pile, around 3 ft
Rock reef: rock pile, around 3 ft

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

Check the official Washington fishing regulations →

Common questions

How deep is Lake Cushman?

Lake Cushman is about 147 ft (45 m) deep at its deepest point. The contours here are modeled from the water's real shape and maximum depth, so treat them as a rough guide.

What fish are in Lake Cushman?

Anglers target rainbow trout, brown trout, brook trout, yellow perch on Lake Cushman.

Where is the best fishing spot on Lake Cushman?

Shallow bay flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 6 ft of water that rates prime for yellow perch in spring. The map above holds the full rated-spot list for every species and season.

When is the best time to fish Lake Cushman?

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.

What are the fishing regulations for Lake Cushman?

Fishing on Lake Cushman 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

U Lake 9 mi · Haven Lake 13 mi · Lake Wooten 13 mi · Nahwatzel Lake 15 mi · Lake Limerick 16 mi · Island Lake 16 mi · Mason Lake 17 mi · Benson Lake 18 mi · Prickett Lake 19 mi · Spencer Lake 20 mi · Panther Lake 20 mi · Devereaux Lake 20 mi

See how Lake Cushman stacks up: best rainbow trout lakes in Washington · best yellow perch lakes in Washington · best brown trout lakes in Washington · best brook trout lakes in Washington

Browse all Washington fishing maps or see every water on DepthScout. 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.