Long Lake Depth Map & Fishing Spots (Thurston County, 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 here are interpolated from real agency depth surveys (state DNR / USACE). Never use for navigation. Always check local regulations.

Loading depth chart…

Recent catches at Long Lake

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 Long Lake on the board.

Fishing Long Lake: what the data says

541-acre lake near Union Mill. The lake tops out around 20 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. What follows comes from the same scoring engine that paints the spots above.

Traced from the shoreline, Long Lake runs 541 acres with 4.4 miles of edge. A shoreline index of 1.3 says round and simple: fish relate to depth changes here, not shoreline features. Roughly 90% of the water is 15 ft or less, the band where the food chain lives. Figure 1.9 mi of water from one end to the other, 0.6 mi at the beam. You'll find it in Thurston County. For a second option, Hicks Lake lies 1 mi west.

Rainbow Trout fishing at Long Lake

Spring puts rainbow trout in skinny water — 5 to 20 ft is the zone. Summer fish stay in 5 to 20 ft, and winter fish hold in 4 to 20 ft. Winter rainbow trout concentrate at Break off the point, a prime-rated drop-off around 14 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. A dodger + spoon (deep troll) or a flutter spoon covers the summer program.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	5 to 20 ft	dawn & dusk	Secondary point (4 ft)	Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon
Summer	5 to 20 ft	dawn & dusk	Break off the point (14 ft)	Dodger + spoon (deep troll), Flutter spoon
Fall	6 to 20 ft	dawn & dusk	Break off the point (14 ft)	Casting spoon, Jerkbait over shoals
Winter	4 to 20 ft	dawn	Break off the point (14 ft)	Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white)

Largemouth Bass fishing at Long Lake

The spring pattern is a shallow one: largemouth bass in 2 to 10 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 8 to 20 ft before dropping to 6 to 20 ft for winter. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in about 4 ft of water that rates prime for largemouth bass in spring. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Summer baits: a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait gets it done.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	2 to 10 ft	dawn & dusk	Shallow bay flat (4 ft)	Spinnerbait, Chatterbait
Summer	8 to 20 ft	dawn & dusk	Break off the point (14 ft)	Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait
Fall	4 to 15 ft	midday & dawn	Secondary point (4 ft)	Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait
Winter	6 to 20 ft	midday	Break off the point (14 ft)	Blade bait, Jigging spoon

Smallmouth Bass fishing at Long Lake

Start shallow in spring: smallmouth bass sit in 3 to 12 ft that time of year. Warm water sends them out to 6 to 20 ft; cold water stacks them in 6 to 20 ft. Top water on the chart: Break off the point, a drop-off in the 14 ft range, prime in winter. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. Throw a drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig until the fish tell you otherwise.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	3 to 12 ft	dawn & dusk	Main-lake point (3 ft)	Ned rig, Tube jig
Summer	6 to 20 ft	dawn & dusk	Break off the point (14 ft)	Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig
Fall	6 to 20 ft	midday & dawn	Break off the point (14 ft)	Jerkbait, Blade bait
Winter	6 to 20 ft	midday	Break off the point (14 ft)	Blade bait, Hair jig

Yellow Perch fishing at Long Lake

Come spring, look for yellow perch tight to the bank in 3 to 12 ft. They move out to 6 to 20 ft in summer and finish the year down in 6 to 20 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Shallow bay flat: a weed flat around 4 ft that scores prime in spring. Best bite is early morning. A drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm is the honest summer answer here.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	3 to 12 ft	midday & dawn	Shallow bay flat (4 ft)	Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank
Summer	6 to 20 ft	dawn	Deep basin (20 ft)	Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm
Fall	6 to 20 ft	midday	Deep basin (20 ft)	Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader
Winter	6 to 20 ft	midday & dawn	Deep basin (20 ft)	Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small)

Bluegill fishing at Long Lake

In spring, bluegill run shallow here, mostly 1 to 6 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 4 to 15 ft before dropping to 6 to 20 ft for winter. Spring bluegill concentrate at Shallow bay flat, a prime-rated weed flat around 4 ft. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. You won't need more than a small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig most summer days.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	1 to 6 ft	midday & dusk	Shallow bay flat (4 ft)	1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings)
Summer	4 to 15 ft	dawn & dusk	Shallow bay flat (4 ft)	Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig
Fall	6 to 18 ft	midday	Break off the point (14 ft)	Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped
Winter	6 to 20 ft	midday	Deep basin (20 ft)	Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon

Crappie fishing at Long Lake

Start shallow in spring: crappie sit in 2 to 8 ft that time of year. Warm water sends them out to 6 to 20 ft; cold water stacks them in 6 to 20 ft. Top water on the chart: Deep basin, a deep basin in the 20 ft range, prime in winter. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. Throw a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) until the fish tell you otherwise.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	2 to 8 ft	midday & dawn	Shallow bay flat (4 ft)	1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub
Summer	6 to 20 ft	dawn & dusk	Break off the point (14 ft)	Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled)
Fall	8 to 20 ft	dawn	Break off the point (14 ft)	Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2")
Winter	6 to 20 ft	midday	Deep basin (20 ft)	Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon

Notable structure

Long Lake carries 7 mapped structure features, topping out (or rather bottoming out) at Deep basin, about 20 ft down.

Deep basin: deep basin, around 20 ft
Break off the point: drop-off, around 14 ft
Secondary point: point, around 4 ft
Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 4 ft
Dock / pier line: dock line, around 4 ft
Main-lake point: point, around 3 ft
Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 3 ft

Public access & boat ramps

Long Lake — ramp (concrete)

Access data: Washington WDFW — Water Access Sites. Confirm conditions and fees locally before you launch.

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

Check the official Washington fishing regulations →

Common questions

How deep is Long Lake?

Long Lake is about 20 ft (6 m) deep 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 Long Lake?

Anglers target rainbow trout, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, yellow perch, bluegill, crappie on Long Lake.

Where is the best fishing spot on Long Lake?

Shallow bay flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 4 ft of water that rates prime for largemouth bass in spring. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.

When is the best time to fish Long Lake?

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 Long Lake?

Fishing on Long Lake 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

Hicks Lake 1 mi · Pattison Lake 2 mi · Lake Saint Clair 3 mi · Chambers Lake 3 mi · Ward Lake 5 mi · Offutt Lake 8 mi · Black Lake 10 mi · Deep Lake 10 mi · McIntosh Lake 11 mi · Florence Lake 11 mi · American Lake 12 mi · Lake Louise 14 mi

See how Long Lake 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: Thurston County fishing maps (14 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.