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Fishing Summit Lake: what the data says
626-acre lake near Thurston County. The lake tops out around 100 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.
Brook Trout fishing at Summit Lake
Start shallow in spring: brook trout sit in 2 to 15 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 10 to 30 ft, and winter fish settle into 3 to 20 ft. The spot to know is Creek inflow, a inflow / creek mouth in about 2 ft of water that rates prime for brook trout in spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Tie on a small spoon fished deep or a trolled lake-clear wobbler + worm and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Small inline spinner (gold), Tiny spoon |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Small spoon fished deep, Trolled lake-clear wobbler + worm |
| Fall | 2 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Small spoon (orange), Spinner |
| Winter | 3 to 20 ft | dawn | Small jigging spoon, Tungsten jig + plastic |
Brown Trout fishing at Summit Lake
In spring, brown trout run shallow here, mostly 3 to 25 ft. They move out to 25 to 60 ft in summer and finish the year down in 5 to 35 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Creek inflow: a inflow / creek mouth around 2 ft that scores prime in spring. Best bite is after dark and early morning. Summer baits: a spoon at the thermocline or a deep stickbait (night) gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Stickbait off planer boards (shallow), Small spoon along mud lines |
| Summer | 25 to 60 ft | night & dawn | Spoon at the thermocline, Deep stickbait (night) |
| Fall | 5 to 30 ft | dusk & dawn | Jerkbait over gravel, Casting spoon |
| Winter | 5 to 35 ft | dawn | Jigging spoon, Small stickbait (slow) |
Cutthroat Trout fishing at Summit Lake
Spring cutthroat trout on Summit Lake hold shallow, usually 3 to 15 ft. They move out to 10 to 35 ft in summer and finish the year down in 10 to 40 ft. The spot to know is Creek inflow, a inflow / creek mouth in about 2 ft of water that rates prime for cutthroat trout in spring. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Summer baits: a trolled spoon (small) or a inline spinner gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Inline spinner (silver/gold), Small spoon |
| Summer | 10 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | Trolled spoon (small), Inline spinner |
| Fall | 5 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Casting spoon, Inline spinner |
| Winter | 10 to 40 ft | dawn | Small jigging spoon, Marabou jig |
Kokanee fishing at Summit Lake
Spring kokanee on Summit Lake hold shallow, usually 10 to 30 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 30 to 70 ft, and winter fish settle into 20 to 80 ft. The spot to know is Creek inflow, a inflow / creek mouth in about 2 ft of water that rates prime for kokanee in fall. Best bite is early morning. Summer baits: a dodger + pink/orange squid on downrigger or a kokanee bug + corn gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 10 to 30 ft | dawn | Small dodger + squid (pink), Wedding-ring spinner + corn |
| Summer | 30 to 70 ft | dawn | Dodger + pink/orange squid on downrigger, Kokanee bug + corn |
| Fall | 5 to 40 ft | dawn | Dodger + squid (deeper red/purple), Small spoon |
| Winter | 20 to 80 ft | dawn | Small glow jig + corn or maggot, Tiny spoon |
Rainbow Trout fishing at Summit Lake
In spring, rainbow trout run shallow here, mostly 5 to 20 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 8 to 30 ft, and winter fish settle into 8 to 40 ft. Main-lake point is the standout, a point at roughly 12 ft, rated prime for spring rainbow trout. Best bite is 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 | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon |
| Summer | 8 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Dodger + spoon (deep troll), Flutter spoon |
| Fall | 10 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | Casting spoon, Jerkbait over shoals |
| Winter | 8 to 40 ft | dawn | Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white) |
Notable structure
- Deep basin: deep basin, around 100 ft
- Creek inflow: inflow / creek mouth, around 95 ft
- Break off the point: drop-off, around 75 ft
- Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 13 ft
- Main-lake point: point, around 12 ft
- Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 11 ft
- Secondary point: point, around 9 ft
- Creek inflow: inflow / creek mouth, around 2 ft
- Old creek channel: creek channel, around 2 ft
Common questions
How deep is Summit Lake?
Summit Lake is about 100 ft 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 Summit Lake?
Anglers target rainbow trout, brown trout, brook trout, kokanee, cutthroat trout on Summit Lake.
Where is the best fishing spot on Summit Lake?
Creek inflow is the top-rated area: a inflow / creek mouth in about 2 ft of water that rates prime for brook trout in spring. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
When is the best time to fish Summit 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.
Nearby waters
Isabella Lake · Black Lake · Lost Lake · Island Lake · Ward Lake · Lake Limerick
See how Summit Lake stacks up: best rainbow trout lakes in Washington · best brown trout lakes in Washington · best brook trout lakes in Washington · best kokanee lakes in Washington
Browse all Washington fishing maps or every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry credit: state fisheries survey programs. How we build these maps. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.