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Recent public catches load as you reach this section.
176-acre lake near Pierce County. The lake tops out around 30 ft. The depth chart comes from published agency bathymetric survey data, so the contours are survey-derived rather than computer-modeled. What follows comes from the same scoring engine that paints the spots above.
The drawn water covers 176 acres wrapped in 2.5 miles of bank. A shoreline index of 1.3 says round and simple: fish relate to depth changes here, not shoreline features. The shallow band under 15 ft claims about 26% of the surface — that's where the groceries are. The basin spans about 1.1 mi end to end and 0.3 mi across at its widest. Pierce County claims this one. Its nearest charted neighbour, Benbow Lakes, is 1 mi to the northeast.
The spring pattern is a shallow one: cutthroat trout in 3 to 15 ft. As the season builds they drop to 9 to 30 ft, wintering in 8 to 30 ft. Top water on the chart: Break off the point, a drop-off in the 19 ft range, prime in summer. Time it for early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a trolled spoon (small) or an inline spinner gets it done.
Depth note: when a documented seasonal range extends below this chart, the table shows the deepest mapped working water, not a verified holding depth.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (1 ft) | Inline spinner (silver/gold), Small spoon |
| Summer | 9 to 30 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (19 ft) | Trolled spoon (small), Inline spinner |
| Fall | 5 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Tanwax Creek inflow (25 ft) | Casting spoon, Inline spinner |
| Winter | 8 to 30 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 40 ft | dawn | Break off the point (19 ft) | Small jigging spoon, Marabou jig |
When the water first warms, rainbow trout slide up into 5 to 20 ft. Summer is an 8 to 30 ft game here, winter a 6 to 30 ft one. Start at Tanwax Creek inflow. It's an inflow / creek mouth holding about 25 ft of water and rates prime come summer. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. Keep a dodger + spoon (deep troll) or a flutter spoon rigged through the warm months.
Depth note: when a documented seasonal range extends below this chart, the table shows the deepest mapped working water, not a verified holding depth.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (19 ft) | Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon |
| Summer | 8 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Tanwax Creek inflow (25 ft) | Dodger + spoon (deep troll), Flutter spoon |
| Fall | 9 to 30 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | Old creek channel (23 ft) | Casting spoon, Jerkbait over shoals |
| Winter | 6 to 30 ft chart-limited; documented 8 to 40 ft | dawn | Break off the point (19 ft) | Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white) |
Early season crappie use the shallows, holding in 2 to 8 ft. Expect a summer slide to 10 to 25 ft, then a winter hold in 9 to 30 ft. Put Deep basin first on the milk run — a deep basin near 30 ft that grades prime for winter. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Tie on a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) and you're in the game.
Depth note: when a documented seasonal range extends below this chart, the table shows the deepest mapped working water, not a verified holding depth.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (1 ft) | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 10 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Old creek channel (23 ft) | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 8 to 20 ft | dawn | Old creek channel (23 ft) | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 9 to 30 ft chart-limited; documented 15 to 35 ft | midday | Deep basin (30 ft) | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Spring largemouth bass on Tanwax Lake hold shallow, usually 2 to 10 ft. By summer they slide out to 8 to 20 ft, and by winter most fish are in 9 to 30 ft. The chart's best answer is Break off the point — drop-off, 19 ft, prime for winter. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait.
Depth note: when a documented seasonal range extends below this chart, the table shows the deepest mapped working water, not a verified holding depth.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (1 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (19 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (1 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 9 to 30 ft chart-limited; documented 15 to 35 ft | midday | Break off the point (19 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
In spring, pumpkinseed run shallow here, mostly 1 to 8 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 2 to 10 ft before dropping to 6 to 18 ft for winter. Spring pumpkinseed concentrate at Shallow bay flat, a prime-rated weed flat around 1 ft. Fish it in the evening and early morning and you'll meet the bite. You won't need more than a micro tube or a sponge spider (fly) most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 8 ft | midday & dusk | Shallow bay flat (1 ft) | Micro jig under a float, Tiny beetle-spin |
| Summer | 2 to 10 ft | dusk & dawn | Shallow bay flat (1 ft) | Micro tube, Sponge spider (fly) |
| Fall | 4 to 14 ft | dusk & dawn | Shallow bay flat (1 ft) | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 6 to 18 ft | dawn | Shallow bay flat (1 ft) | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
In spring, yellow perch run shallow here, mostly 3 to 12 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 10 to 30 ft, and winter fish settle into 9 to 30 ft. Deep basin is the standout, a deep basin at roughly 30 ft, rated prime for fall yellow perch. Time it for early morning. You won't need more than a drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm most summer days.
Depth note: when a documented seasonal range extends below this chart, the table shows the deepest mapped working water, not a verified holding depth.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (1 ft) | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn | Deep basin (30 ft) | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 9 to 30 ft chart-limited; documented 12 to 35 ft | midday | Deep basin (30 ft) | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 9 to 30 ft chart-limited; documented 15 to 35 ft | midday & dawn | Deep basin (30 ft) | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Count 8 structure marks on this chart. The deepest, Deep basin, sits near 30 ft.
Access data: Washington WDFW — Water Access Sites. Confirm conditions and fees locally before you launch.
| Date | Species | Count | Size |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 20 | Rainbow trout | 2,773 | — |
| Apr 17 | Rainbow trout | 50 | — |
| Apr 17 | Rainbow trout | 2,000 | — |
| Apr 2 | Rainbow trout | 4,000 | — |
| Nov 24, 2025 | Rainbow trout | 1,004 | — |
| Nov 24, 2025 | Rainbow trout | 625 | — |
Source: WDFW fish-stocking reports, retrieved 2026-09-23.
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 Tanwax Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Washington fishing regulations →
Tanwax Lake is about 30 ft (9 m) deep at its deepest point. The depth chart comes from published agency bathymetric survey data, so the contours are survey-derived rather than computer-modeled.
Anglers target cutthroat trout, rainbow trout, crappie, largemouth bass, pumpkinseed, yellow perch on Tanwax Lake.
Break off the point is the top-rated area: a drop-off in about 19 ft of water that rates prime for cutthroat trout in summer. Scroll up to the map for the complete spot list by species and season.
For cutthroat 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.
Yes — per WDFW fish-stocking reports records, Tanwax Lake was most recently stocked May 20 with 2,773 rainbow trout. The full stocking history is listed above.
Fishing on Tanwax 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.
Benbow Lakes 1 mi · Clear Lake 1 mi · Lake Kapowsin 3 mi · Ohop Lake 4 mi · Rapjohn Lake 5 mi · Silver Lake 7 mi · Harts Lake 10 mi · Elbow Lake 12 mi · Clear Lake 13 mi · Spanaway Lake 14 mi · Lake Lawrence 16 mi · Mineral Lake 16 mi
See how Tanwax Lake stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Washington · best crappie lakes in Washington · best rainbow trout lakes in Washington · best yellow perch lakes in Washington
More water nearby: Pierce County fishing maps (18 charts). Browse all Washington fishing maps. See every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry: published agency survey data. 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.