Silver Lake Depth Map & Fishing Spots (Pierce 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 Silver 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 Silver Lake on the board.

Fishing Silver Lake: what the data says

103-acre lake near Pierce County. The lake tops out around 22 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.

Drawn out, this is 103 acres of water rimmed by 1.4 miles of bank. At index 1 the outline is almost a bowl — read the depth changes, not the shoreline. Roughly 51% of the water is 15 ft or less, the band where the food chain lives. The basin spans about 0.5 mi end to end and 0.4 mi across at its widest. The water lies in Pierce County. For a second option, Rapjohn Lake lies 2 mi northeast.

Rainbow Trout fishing at Silver Lake

Start shallow in spring: rainbow trout sit in 5 to 20 ft that time of year. Warm water sends them out to 6 to 22 ft; cold water stacks them in 4 to 22 ft. Top water on the chart: Creek inflow, an inflow / creek mouth in the 14 ft range, prime in spring. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. Throw a dodger + spoon (deep troll) or a flutter spoon until the fish tell you otherwise.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	5 to 20 ft	dawn & dusk	Creek inflow (14 ft)	Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon
Summer	6 to 22 ft	dawn & dusk	Creek inflow (14 ft)	Dodger + spoon (deep troll), Flutter spoon
Fall	6 to 22 ft	dawn & dusk	Old creek channel (20 ft)	Casting spoon, Jerkbait over shoals
Winter	4 to 22 ft	dawn	Deep basin (22 ft)	Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white)

Largemouth Bass fishing at Silver Lake

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 7 to 22 ft. Spring largemouth bass concentrate at Shallow bay flat, a prime-rated weed flat around 4 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 (4 ft)	Spinnerbait, Chatterbait
Summer	8 to 20 ft	dawn & dusk	Back-bay flat (5 ft)	Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait
Fall	4 to 15 ft	midday & dawn	Shallow bay flat (4 ft)	Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait
Winter	7 to 22 ft	midday	Old creek channel (20 ft)	Blade bait, Jigging spoon

Smallmouth Bass fishing at Silver Lake

In spring, smallmouth bass run shallow here, mostly 3 to 12 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 7 to 22 ft, and winter fish settle into 7 to 22 ft. Deep basin is the standout, a deep basin at roughly 22 ft, rated good for winter 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	Creek inflow (14 ft)	Ned rig, Tube jig
Summer	7 to 22 ft	dawn & dusk	Old creek channel (20 ft)	Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig
Fall	7 to 22 ft	midday & dawn	Old creek channel (20 ft)	Jerkbait, Blade bait
Winter	7 to 22 ft	midday	Deep basin (22 ft)	Blade bait, Hair jig

Yellow Perch fishing at Silver Lake

Early season yellow perch use the shallows, holding in 3 to 12 ft. Expect a summer slide to 7 to 22 ft, then a winter hold in 7 to 22 ft. Put Shallow bay flat first on the milk run — a weed flat near 4 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 (4 ft)	Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank
Summer	7 to 22 ft	dawn	Deep basin (22 ft)	Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm
Fall	7 to 22 ft	midday	Deep basin (22 ft)	Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader
Winter	7 to 22 ft	midday & dawn	Deep basin (22 ft)	Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small)

Bluegill fishing at Silver Lake

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 7 to 22 ft. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in about 4 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 (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	Back-bay flat (5 ft)	Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped
Winter	7 to 22 ft	midday	Deep basin (22 ft)	Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon

Crappie fishing at Silver Lake

In spring, crappie run shallow here, mostly 2 to 8 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 7 to 22 ft, and winter fish settle into 7 to 22 ft. Old creek channel is the standout, a creek channel at roughly 20 ft, rated prime for fall 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 (4 ft)	1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub
Summer	7 to 22 ft	dawn & dusk	Old creek channel (20 ft)	Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled)
Fall	8 to 20 ft	dawn	Old creek channel (20 ft)	Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2")
Winter	7 to 22 ft	midday	Deep basin (22 ft)	Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon

Notable structure

5 pieces of structure are mapped here — Deep basin, around 22 ft, is the deepest of them.

Deep basin: deep basin, around 22 ft
Old creek channel: creek channel, around 20 ft
Creek inflow: inflow / creek mouth, around 14 ft
Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 5 ft
Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 4 ft

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

Check the official Washington fishing regulations →

Common questions

How deep is Silver Lake?

Silver Lake is about 22 ft (7 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 Silver Lake?

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

Where is the best fishing spot on Silver Lake?

Creek inflow is the top-rated area: an inflow / creek mouth in about 14 ft of water that rates prime for rainbow trout in spring. The interactive chart above rates every spot for each species and season.

When is the best time to fish Silver 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 Silver Lake?

Fishing on Silver 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

Rapjohn Lake 2 mi · Ohop Lake 4 mi · Harts Lake 5 mi · Clear Lake 5 mi · Elbow Lake 6 mi · Tanwax Lake 7 mi · Clear Lake 7 mi · Benbow Lakes 7 mi · Lake Kapowsin 9 mi · Lake Lawrence 10 mi · Mineral Lake 14 mi · Spanaway Lake 16 mi

See how Silver 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: Pierce County fishing maps (18 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.