Palmer 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 Palmer 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 Palmer Lake on the board.

Fishing Palmer Lake: what the data says

2,032-acre lake near Loomis. The lake tops out around 70 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.

The drawn water covers 1,873 acres wrapped in 8.9 miles of bank. With a 1.5 development index there's bank structure worth casting at, in moderation. Roughly 7% of the water is 15 ft or less, the band where the food chain lives. Tip to tip the water measures near 3.1 mi with a 1.7-mi widest point. It sits in Okanogan County. Its nearest charted neighbour, Wannacut Lake, is 5 mi to the east.

Smallmouth Bass fishing at Palmer Lake

Come spring, look for smallmouth bass tight to the bank in 3 to 12 ft. They move out to 10 to 30 ft in summer and finish the year down in 20 to 45 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Main-lake point: a point around 14 ft that scores prime in fall. Best bite is early morning and the evening. A drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig is the honest summer answer here.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	3 to 12 ft	dawn & dusk	Main-lake point (14 ft)	Ned rig, Tube jig
Summer	10 to 30 ft	dawn & dusk	Main-lake point (14 ft)	Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig
Fall	8 to 25 ft	midday & dawn	Main-lake point (14 ft)	Jerkbait, Blade bait
Winter	20 to 45 ft	midday	Break off the point (65 ft)	Blade bait, Hair jig

Largemouth Bass fishing at Palmer Lake

When the water first warms, largemouth bass slide up into 2 to 10 ft. Summer is an 8 to 20 ft game here, winter a 15 to 35 ft one. Start at Main-lake point. It's a point holding about 14 ft of water and rates prime come fall. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. Keep a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait rigged through the warm months.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	2 to 10 ft	dawn & dusk	Shallow bay flat (7 ft)	Spinnerbait, Chatterbait
Summer	8 to 20 ft	dawn & dusk	Main-lake point (14 ft)	Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait
Fall	4 to 15 ft	midday & dawn	Main-lake point (14 ft)	Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait
Winter	15 to 35 ft	midday	Break off the point (65 ft)	Blade bait, Jigging spoon

Rainbow Trout fishing at Palmer Lake

Early season rainbow trout use the shallows, holding in 5 to 20 ft. Expect a summer slide to 8 to 30 ft, then a winter hold in 8 to 40 ft. Put Main-lake point first on the milk run — a point near 14 ft that grades prime for spring. 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	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	5 to 20 ft	dawn & dusk	Main-lake point (14 ft)	Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon
Summer	8 to 30 ft	dawn & dusk	Main-lake point (14 ft)	Dodger + spoon (deep troll), Flutter spoon
Fall	10 to 35 ft	dawn & dusk	Main-lake point (14 ft)	Casting spoon, Jerkbait over shoals
Winter	8 to 40 ft	dawn	Break off the point (65 ft)	Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white)

Yellow Perch fishing at Palmer Lake

Start shallow in spring: yellow perch sit in 3 to 12 ft that time of year. Warm water sends them out to 10 to 30 ft; cold water stacks them in 15 to 35 ft. Top water on the chart: Shallow bay flat, a feeding flat in the 7 ft range, prime in spring. Fish it in early morning and you'll meet the bite. Throw a drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm until the fish tell you otherwise.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	3 to 12 ft	midday & dawn	Shallow bay flat (7 ft)	Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank
Summer	10 to 30 ft	dawn	Shallow feeding flat (20 ft)	Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm
Fall	12 to 35 ft	midday	Deep basin (70 ft)	Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader
Winter	15 to 35 ft	midday & dawn	Shallow feeding flat (20 ft)	Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small)

Common Carp fishing at Palmer Lake

Early season common carp use the shallows, holding in 2 to 10 ft. Expect a summer slide to 3 to 15 ft, then a winter hold in 10 to 30 ft. Put Shallow bay flat first on the milk run — a feeding flat near 7 ft that grades prime for spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at
Spring	2 to 10 ft	midday & dawn	Shallow bay flat (7 ft)
Summer	3 to 15 ft	dawn & dusk	Shallow bay flat (7 ft)
Fall	5 to 18 ft	midday	Shallow bay flat (7 ft)
Winter	10 to 30 ft	midday	Deep basin (70 ft)

Kokanee fishing at Palmer Lake

Spring kokanee on Palmer Lake hold shallow, usually 10 to 30 ft. By summer they slide out to 30 to 70 ft, and by winter most fish are in 18 to 70 ft. The chart's best answer is Deep basin — deep basin, 70 ft, prime for summer. Prime time lands in early morning. The summer box starts with a dodger + pink/orange squid on downrigger or a kokanee bug + corn.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	10 to 30 ft	dawn	Deep basin (70 ft)	Small dodger + squid (pink), Wedding-ring spinner + corn
Summer	30 to 70 ft	dawn	Deep basin (70 ft)	Dodger + pink/orange squid on downrigger, Kokanee bug + corn
Fall	5 to 40 ft	dawn	open water	Dodger + squid (deeper red/purple), Small spoon
Winter	18 to 70 ft	dawn	Deep basin (70 ft)	Small glow jig + corn or maggot, Tiny spoon

Notable structure

8 pieces of structure are mapped here — Deep basin, around 70 ft, is the deepest of them.

Deep basin: deep basin, around 70 ft
Break off the point: drop-off, around 65 ft
Shallow feeding flat: feeding flat, around 20 ft
Secondary point: point, around 19 ft
Shallow feeding flat: feeding flat, around 19 ft
Main-lake point: point, around 14 ft
Shallow bay flat: feeding flat, around 7 ft
Back-bay flat: feeding flat, around 5 ft

Public access & boat ramps

Boat launch — ramp
Boat launch — ramp

Access data: OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) — community-mapped launches. Confirm conditions and fees locally before you launch.

Palmer Lake stocking report

Date	Species	Count	Size
Jun 3	Kokanee	245,891	—

Source: WDFW fish-stocking reports, retrieved 2026-08-18.

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

Check the official Washington fishing regulations →

Common questions

How deep is Palmer Lake?

Palmer Lake is about 70 ft (21 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 Palmer Lake?

Anglers target smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, rainbow trout, yellow perch, common carp, kokanee on Palmer Lake.

Where is the best fishing spot on Palmer Lake?

Main-lake point is the top-rated area: a point in about 14 ft of water that rates prime for smallmouth bass in fall. The map above holds the full rated-spot list for every species and season.

When is the best time to fish Palmer Lake?

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.

Is Palmer Lake stocked with fish?

Yes — per WDFW fish-stocking reports records, Palmer Lake was most recently stocked Jun 3 with 245,891 kokanee. The full stocking history is listed above.

What are the fishing regulations for Palmer Lake?

Fishing on Palmer 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

Wannacut Lake 5 mi · Spectacle Lake 7 mi · Frank Lake 9 mi, BC · Kilpoola Lake 10 mi, BC · Whitestone Lake 10 mi · Osoyoos Lake 11 mi, WA/BC · Osoyoos Lake 11 mi, BC/WA · Blue Lake 15 mi · Aeneas Lake 16 mi · Sidley Lake 20 mi · Fish Lake 20 mi · Tugulnuit Lake 21 mi, BC

See how Palmer Lake stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Washington · best smallmouth bass lakes in Washington · best rainbow trout lakes in Washington · best yellow perch lakes in Washington

More water nearby: Okanogan County fishing maps (21 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.