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Fishing Potholes Reservoir: what the data says
28,000-acre reservoir near Moses Lake. The sand-dune maze of central Washington. Walleye on the humps, bass back in the dune channels, panfish everywhere. The lake tops out around 142 ft. The contours are modeled from the water's real shoreline and maximum depth. Treat them as a rough guide, and never use them for navigation. Here's the year, species by species, as the scoring engine sees it.
The chart traces 124.3 miles of shoreline here — 71 islands included. That shoreline is heavily fingered (development index 7.4) — bays, points and pockets everywhere, which multiplies the fishable edge. 42% of the surface is littoral (under ~15 ft), per the model — cover, weeds and forage water.
Walleye fishing at Potholes Reservoir
Spring walleye on Potholes Reservoir hold shallow, usually 4 to 15 ft. They move out to 15 to 35 ft in summer and finish the year down in 20 to 40 ft. Put Creek inflow first on the milk run — a inflow / creek mouth near 8 ft that grades prime for spring. The feeding windows run the evening and early morning. The summer box starts with a crawler harness on bottom bouncer or a deep crankbait (trolled).
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 4 to 15 ft | dusk & dawn | Creek inflow (8 ft) | 1/8 oz jig + minnow, Hair jig |
| Summer | 15 to 35 ft | dusk & dawn | Offshore hump (13 ft) | Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 12 to 40 ft | dusk & night | Main-lake point (36 ft) | Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow |
| Winter | 20 to 40 ft | dusk & dawn | Main-lake point (36 ft) | Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait |
Largemouth Bass fishing at Potholes Reservoir
Spring puts largemouth bass in skinny water — 2 to 10 ft is the zone. As the season builds they drop to 8 to 20 ft, wintering in 15 to 35 ft. Spring largemouth bass concentrate at Shallow bay flat, a prime-rated weed flat around 6 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. A texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Offshore hump (13 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Shoreline point (6 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Offshore hump (13 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Smallmouth Bass fishing at Potholes Reservoir
In spring, smallmouth bass run shallow here, mostly 3 to 12 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 10 to 30 ft, and winter fish settle into 20 to 45 ft. Rock reef is the standout, a rock pile at roughly 4 ft, rated prime for spring smallmouth bass. Time it for early morning and the evening. You won't need more than a drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Rock reef (4 ft) | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Offshore hump (13 ft) | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 8 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | Shoreline point (6 ft) | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 20 to 45 ft | midday | Offshore hump (13 ft) | Blade bait, Hair jig |
Crappie fishing at Potholes Reservoir
In spring, crappie run shallow here, mostly 2 to 8 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 10 to 25 ft, and winter fish settle into 15 to 35 ft. Shallow bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 6 ft, rated prime for spring crappie. Time it for early morning and the evening. You won't need more than a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 10 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Offshore hump (13 ft) | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 8 to 20 ft | dawn | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Offshore hump (13 ft) | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Yellow Perch fishing at Potholes Reservoir
Early season yellow perch use the shallows, holding in 3 to 12 ft. Expect a summer slide to 10 to 30 ft, then a winter hold in 15 to 35 ft. Put Shallow bay flat first on the milk run — a weed flat near 6 ft that grades prime for spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning. Tie on a drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn | Offshore hump (13 ft) | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 12 to 35 ft | midday | Offshore hump (13 ft) | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday & dawn | Offshore hump (13 ft) | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Bluegill fishing at Potholes Reservoir
Start shallow in spring: bluegill sit in 1 to 6 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 4 to 15 ft, and winter fish settle into 10 to 25 ft. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in about 6 ft of water that rates prime for bluegill in spring. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. Throw a small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 6 ft | midday & dusk | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | 1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings) |
| Summer | 4 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 10 to 25 ft | midday | Offshore hump (13 ft) | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
Potholes Reservoir also holds rainbow trout (8 to 30 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
Notable structure
- Deep basin: deep basin, around 121 ft
- Old creek channel: creek channel, around 71 ft
- Feeding flat: feeding flat, around 37 ft
- Main-lake point: point, around 36 ft
- Secondary point: point, around 36 ft
- Offshore hump: offshore hump, around 13 ft
- Creek inflow: inflow / creek mouth, around 8 ft
- Shoreline point: point, around 6 ft
- Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 6 ft
- Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 6 ft
- Shoreline point: point, around 5 ft
- Rock reef: rock pile, around 4 ft
- Sharp break: drop-off, around 4 ft
Potholes Reservoir 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 Potholes Reservoir specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Washington fishing regulations →
Common questions
How deep is Potholes Reservoir?
Potholes Reservoir is about 142 ft (43 m) deep at its deepest point. The contours here are modeled from the water's real shape and maximum depth, so treat them as a rough guide.
What fish are in Potholes Reservoir?
Anglers target largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, walleye, crappie, bluegill, rainbow trout, yellow perch on Potholes Reservoir.
Where is the best fishing spot on Potholes Reservoir?
Creek inflow is the top-rated area: a inflow / creek mouth in about 8 ft of water that rates prime for walleye in spring. Scroll up to the map for the complete spot list by species and season.
When is the best time to fish Potholes Reservoir?
For walleye, the summer bite is best in the evening 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.
What are the fishing regulations for Potholes Reservoir?
Fishing on Potholes Reservoir 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
Soda Lake 5 mi · Upper Goose Lake 5 mi · Lower Goose Lake 6 mi · Long Lake 8 mi · Canal Lake 9 mi · Windmill Lake 9 mi · Moses Lake 10 mi · Soap Lake 28 mi · Evergreen Reservoir 29 mi · Burke Lake 29 mi · Stan Coffin Lake 29 mi · Quincy Lake 30 mi
See how Potholes Reservoir stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Washington · best smallmouth bass lakes in Washington · best crappie lakes in Washington · best bluegill lakes in Washington
Browse all Washington fishing maps or see every water on DepthScout. How we build these maps. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.