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Fishing Lake Sammamish: what the data says
4,897-acre reservoir near Issaquah. 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.
Smallmouth Bass fishing at Lake Sammamish
Spring smallmouth bass on Lake Sammamish hold shallow, usually 3 to 12 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 8 to 25 ft, and winter fish settle into 8 to 25 ft. Main-lake point is the standout, a point at roughly 12 ft, rated prime for fall smallmouth bass. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. A drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 8 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 8 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 8 to 25 ft | midday | Blade bait, Hair jig |
Largemouth Bass fishing at Lake Sammamish
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 8 to 25 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Shallow bay flat: a weed flat around 2 ft that scores prime in spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 8 to 25 ft | midday | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Rainbow Trout fishing at Lake Sammamish
In spring, rainbow trout run shallow here, mostly 5 to 20 ft. They move out to 7 to 25 ft in summer and finish the year down in 5 to 25 ft. The spot to know is Break off the point, a drop-off in about 25 ft of water that rates prime for rainbow trout in winter. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Tie on a dodger + spoon (deep troll) or a flutter spoon and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon |
| Summer | 7 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Dodger + spoon (deep troll), Flutter spoon |
| Fall | 7 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Casting spoon, Jerkbait over shoals |
| Winter | 5 to 25 ft | dawn | Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white) |
Yellow Perch fishing at Lake Sammamish
Start shallow in spring: yellow perch sit in 3 to 12 ft that time of year. By summer they slide out to 8 to 25 ft, and by winter most fish are in 8 to 25 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Deep basin: a deep basin around 25 ft that scores prime in fall. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning. A drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 8 to 25 ft | dawn | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 8 to 25 ft | midday | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 8 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Crappie fishing at Lake Sammamish
Spring crappie on Lake Sammamish hold shallow, usually 2 to 8 ft. By summer they slide out to 10 to 25 ft, and by winter most fish are in 8 to 25 ft. The spot to know is Deep basin, a deep basin in about 25 ft of water that rates prime for crappie in winter. In summer the feeding windows fall in 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 | 10 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 8 to 20 ft | dawn | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 8 to 25 ft | midday | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Coho Salmon fishing at Lake Sammamish
Start shallow in spring: coho salmon sit in 3 to 25 ft that time of year. Summer fish stay in 8 to 25 ft, and winter fish hold in 8 to 25 ft. Deep basin is the standout, a deep basin at roughly 25 ft, rated prime for summer coho salmon. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a dodger + fly or a medium spoon above the thermocline gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Small orange dodger + peanut fly, Thin spoon (orange/silver) |
| Summer | 8 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Dodger + fly, Medium spoon above the thermocline |
| Fall | 5 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Casting spoon, Spinner (chartreuse) |
| Winter | 8 to 25 ft | midday | Small spoon, slow troll |
Notable structure
- Deep basin: deep basin, around 25 ft
- Break off the point: drop-off, around 25 ft
- Shallow feeding flat: feeding flat, around 20 ft
- Sharp break: drop-off, around 13 ft
- Main-lake point: point, around 12 ft
- Shallow feeding flat: feeding flat, around 10 ft
- Secondary point: point, around 9 ft
- Gravel shoal: gravel shoal, around 4 ft
- Shoreline point: point, around 4 ft
- Gravel shoal: gravel shoal, around 3 ft
- Gravel shoal: gravel shoal, around 3 ft
- Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 2 ft
- Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 2 ft
Common questions
How deep is Lake Sammamish?
Lake Sammamish is about 25 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 Sammamish?
Anglers target largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, crappie, rainbow trout, yellow perch, coho salmon on Lake Sammamish.
Where is the best fishing spot on Lake Sammamish?
Main-lake point is the top-rated area: a point in about 12 ft of water that rates prime for smallmouth bass in fall. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
When is the best time to fish Lake Sammamish?
For smallmouth 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.
Nearby waters
Beaver Lakes · Crystal Lake · Echo Lake · Lake Alice · Snoqualmie River · Lake Joy
See how Lake Sammamish stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Washington · best smallmouth bass lakes in Washington · best crappie lakes in Washington · best rainbow 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.