Wapato 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 Wapato 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 Wapato Lake on the board.

Fishing Wapato Lake: what the data says

197-acre lake near Manson. The lake tops out around 65 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. The season-by-season read for each species follows, from the map's own numbers.

Kokanee fishing at Wapato Lake

Start shallow in spring: kokanee sit in 10 to 30 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 20 to 65 ft, and winter fish settle into 16 to 65 ft. The spot to know is Deep basin, a deep basin in about 65 ft of water that rates prime for kokanee in summer. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning. Throw a dodger + pink/orange squid on downrigger or a kokanee bug + corn until the fish tell you otherwise.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	10 to 30 ft	dawn	Deep basin (65 ft)	Small dodger + squid (pink), Wedding-ring spinner + corn
Summer	20 to 65 ft	dawn	Deep basin (65 ft)	Dodger + pink/orange squid on downrigger, Kokanee bug + corn
Fall	5 to 40 ft	dawn	Break off the point (47 ft)	Dodger + squid (deeper red/purple), Small spoon
Winter	16 to 65 ft	dawn	Deep basin (65 ft)	Small glow jig + corn or maggot, Tiny spoon

Rainbow Trout fishing at Wapato Lake

The spring pattern is a shallow one: rainbow trout in 5 to 20 ft. As the season builds they drop to 8 to 30 ft, wintering in 8 to 40 ft. Top water on the chart: Break off the point, a drop-off in the 47 ft range, prime in winter. Time it for early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a dodger + spoon (deep troll) or a flutter spoon gets it done.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	5 to 20 ft	dawn & dusk	Main-lake point (1 ft)	Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon
Summer	8 to 30 ft	dawn & dusk	Shallow feeding flat (7 ft)	Dodger + spoon (deep troll), Flutter spoon
Fall	10 to 35 ft	dawn & dusk	Main-lake point (1 ft)	Casting spoon, Jerkbait over shoals
Winter	8 to 40 ft	dawn	Break off the point (47 ft)	Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white)

Notable structure

The chart marks 7 structure features on Wapato Lake; the deepest is Deep basin at about 65 ft.

Deep basin: deep basin, around 65 ft
Break off the point: drop-off, around 47 ft
Shallow feeding flat: feeding flat, around 7 ft
Main-lake point: point, around 1 ft
Secondary point: point, around 1 ft
Shallow bay flat: feeding flat, around 1 ft
Back-bay flat: feeding flat, around 1 ft

Wapato Lake stocking report

Date	Species	Count	Size
Jun 2	Rainbow trout	31,300	—
May 26	Rainbow trout	12,500	—
May 19	Rainbow trout	2,100	—
Apr 28	Rainbow trout	13,600	—
Apr 27	Rainbow trout	47,600	—
Mar 31	Rainbow trout	2,000	—
Mar 23	Rainbow trout	3,000	—

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

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

Check the official Washington fishing regulations →

Common questions

How deep is Wapato Lake?

Wapato Lake is about 65 ft (20 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 Wapato Lake?

Anglers target kokanee, rainbow trout on Wapato Lake.

Where is the best fishing spot on Wapato Lake?

Deep basin is the top-rated area: a deep basin in about 65 ft of water that rates prime for kokanee in summer. The interactive chart above rates every spot for each species and season.

When is the best time to fish Wapato Lake?

For kokanee, the summer bite is best in early morning. Each species page section below lists the seasonal windows, and the map shows a live NOW badge when you're inside one.

Is Wapato Lake stocked with fish?

Yes — per WDFW fish-stocking reports records, Wapato Lake was most recently stocked Jun 2 with 31,300 rainbow trout. The full stocking history is listed above.

What are the fishing regulations for Wapato Lake?

Fishing on Wapato 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

Roses Lake 1 mi · Alta Lake 13 mi · Lake Chelan 14 mi · Fish Lake 26 mi · Lake Wenatchee 29 mi · Grimes Lake 30 mi · Jameson Lake 30 mi · Methow River 35 mi · Davis Lake 36 mi · Big Twin Lake 37 mi · Patterson Lake 37 mi · Lake Cortez 38 mi

See how Wapato Lake stacks up: best rainbow trout lakes in Washington · best kokanee lakes in Washington

More water nearby: Chelan County fishing maps (7 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.