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Fishing Lake Washington: what the data says
175-acre lake near New Windsor. The lake tops out around 40 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. Below is the species-by-species picture, pulled from the same data the map uses.
Brown Trout fishing at Lake Washington
Spring brown trout on Lake Washington hold shallow, usually 3 to 25 ft. They move out to 12 to 40 ft in summer and finish the year down in 5 to 35 ft. The spot to know is Break off the point, a drop-off in about 37 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 | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Stickbait off planer boards (shallow), Small spoon along mud lines |
| Summer | 12 to 40 ft | night & dawn | Spoon at the thermocline, Deep stickbait (night) |
| Fall | 5 to 30 ft | dusk & dawn | Jerkbait over gravel, Casting spoon |
| Winter | 5 to 35 ft | dawn | Jigging spoon, Small stickbait (slow) |
Rainbow Trout fishing at Lake Washington
Spring rainbow trout on Lake Washington 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. Break off the point is the standout, a drop-off at roughly 37 ft, rated prime for winter rainbow trout. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. A dodger + spoon (deep troll) or a flutter spoon covers the summer program.
| 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) |
Chain Pickerel fishing at Lake Washington
In spring, chain pickerel run shallow here, mostly 2 to 10 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 3 to 15 ft, and winter fish settle into 5 to 18 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Shallow bay flat: a weed flat around 5 ft that scores prime in spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a weedless spoon + trailer or a buzzbait gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | midday & dawn | Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon (red/white) |
| Summer | 3 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Weedless spoon + trailer, Buzzbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Jerkbait along weed edges, Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 5 to 18 ft | dawn | Jigging spoon (through ice) |
Notable structure
- Deep basin: deep basin, around 40 ft
- Break off the point: drop-off, around 37 ft
- Main-lake point: point, around 5 ft
- Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 5 ft
- Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 3 ft
- Secondary point: point, around 2 ft
Common questions
How deep is Lake Washington?
Lake Washington is about 40 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 Washington?
Anglers target rainbow trout, brown trout, chain pickerel on Lake Washington.
Where is the best fishing spot on Lake Washington?
Shallow bay flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 5 ft of water that rates prime for chain pickerel in spring. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
When is the best time to fish Lake Washington?
For brown trout, the summer bite is best in after dark and early morning. Each species page section below lists the seasonal windows, and the map shows a live NOW badge when you're inside one.
Nearby waters
Round Lake · Lake Tiorati · Walton Lake · Lake Askoti · Stillwater Pond · Lake Welch
See how Lake Washington stacks up: best rainbow trout lakes in New York · best brown trout lakes in New York · best chain pickerel lakes in New York
Browse all New York fishing maps or every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry credit: state fisheries survey programs. How we build these maps. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.