North Skookum Lake 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 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 North Skookum 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 North Skookum Lake on the board.

Fishing North Skookum Lake: what the data says

48-acre lake near Pend Oreille County. 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. The season-by-season read for each species follows, from the map's own numbers.

North Skookum Lake maps at 48 acres behind 1.1 miles of shoreline. A shoreline index of 1.1 says round and simple: fish relate to depth changes here, not shoreline features. Littoral water — the productive band under ~15 ft — makes up 57% of this chart. Figure 0.4 mi of water from one end to the other, 0.3 mi at the beam. It sits in Pend Oreille County. South Skookum Lake sits 1 mi south — the closest neighbouring chart.

Brook Trout fishing at North Skookum Lake

When the water first warms, brook trout slide up into 2 to 15 ft. By summer they slide out to 6 to 20 ft, and by winter most fish are in 3 to 20 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Deep basin: a deep basin around 20 ft that scores prime in summer. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Keep a small spoon fished deep or a trolled lake-clear wobbler + worm rigged through the warm months.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	2 to 15 ft	dawn & dusk	Main-lake point (3 ft)	Small inline spinner (gold), Tiny spoon
Summer	6 to 20 ft	dawn & dusk	Deep basin (20 ft)	Small spoon fished deep, Trolled lake-clear wobbler + worm
Fall	2 to 15 ft	midday & dawn	Main-lake point (3 ft)	Small spoon (orange), Spinner
Winter	3 to 20 ft	dawn	Deep basin (20 ft)	Small jigging spoon, Tungsten jig + plastic

Rainbow Trout fishing at North Skookum Lake

Come spring, look for rainbow trout tight to the bank in 5 to 20 ft. Through summer count on 5 to 20 ft; the winter hold is 4 to 20 ft. Start at Break off the point. It's a drop-off holding about 12 ft of water and rates prime come winter. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. A dodger + spoon (deep troll) or a flutter spoon is the honest summer answer here.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	5 to 20 ft	dawn & dusk	Secondary point (8 ft)	Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon
Summer	5 to 20 ft	dawn & dusk	Break off the point (12 ft)	Dodger + spoon (deep troll), Flutter spoon
Fall	6 to 20 ft	dawn & dusk	Secondary point (8 ft)	Casting spoon, Jerkbait over shoals
Winter	4 to 20 ft	dawn	Break off the point (12 ft)	Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white)

Notable structure

Structure-wise the chart holds 5 features, led in depth by Deep basin at roughly 20 ft.

Deep basin: deep basin, around 20 ft
Break off the point: drop-off, around 12 ft
Secondary point: point, around 8 ft
Main-lake point: point, around 3 ft
Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 3 ft

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

Check the official Washington fishing regulations →

Common questions

How deep is North Skookum Lake?

North Skookum 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 North Skookum Lake?

Anglers target brook trout, rainbow trout on North Skookum Lake.

Where is the best fishing spot on North Skookum Lake?

Break off the point is the top-rated area: a drop-off in about 12 ft of water that rates prime for rainbow trout in winter. Every other rated spot, per species and season, is on the map above.

When is the best time to fish North Skookum Lake?

For brook 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 North Skookum Lake?

Fishing on North Skookum 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

South Skookum Lake 1 mi · Marshall Lake 11 mi · Davis Lake 14 mi · Blue Lake 18 mi, ID · Sacheen Lake 18 mi · Diamond Lake 19 mi · Priest Lake 20 mi, ID · Sherry Lake 22 mi · Gillette Lake 22 mi · Lake Leo 22 mi · Bayley Lake 22 mi · Lake Thomas 22 mi

See how North Skookum Lake stacks up: best rainbow trout lakes in Washington · best brook trout lakes in Washington

More water nearby: Pend Oreille County fishing maps (11 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.