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Recent public catches load as you reach this section.
65-acre lake near Olympia. The lake tops out around 67 ft. The depth chart comes from published agency bathymetric survey data, so the contours are survey-derived rather than computer-modeled. Below is the species-by-species picture, pulled from the same data the map uses.
On the chart, Ward Lake draws 65 acres inside 1.2 miles of shoreline. A shoreline index of 1.1 says round and simple: fish relate to depth changes here, not shoreline features. 10% of the surface is littoral (under ~15 ft) — cover, weeds and forage water. The basin spans about 0.5 mi end to end and 0.4 mi across at its widest. The water lies in Thurston County. The nearest mapped water is Chambers Lake, 2 mi to the northeast.
When the water first warms, cutthroat trout slide up into 3 to 15 ft. Summer is a 10 to 35 ft game here, winter a 10 to 40 ft one. Start at Main-lake point. It's a point holding about 12 ft of water and rates prime come fall. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. Keep a trolled spoon (small) or an inline spinner rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (12 ft) | Inline spinner (silver/gold), Small spoon |
| Summer | 10 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (12 ft) | Trolled spoon (small), Inline spinner |
| Fall | 5 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (12 ft) | Casting spoon, Inline spinner |
| Winter | 10 to 40 ft | dawn | Break off the point (45 ft) | Small jigging spoon, Marabou jig |
Spring puts kokanee in skinny water — 10 to 30 ft is the zone. Warm water sends them out to 20 to 67 ft; cold water stacks them in 17 to 67 ft. Deep basin is the standout, a deep basin at roughly 66 ft, rated prime for summer kokanee. Plan around early morning in the warm months. A dodger + pink/orange squid on downrigger or a kokanee bug + corn covers the summer program.
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 | 10 to 30 ft | dawn | open water | Small dodger + squid (pink), Wedding-ring spinner + corn |
| Summer | 20 to 67 ft chart-limited; documented 30 to 70 ft | dawn | Deep basin (66 ft) | Dodger + pink/orange squid on downrigger, Kokanee bug + corn |
| Fall | 5 to 40 ft | dawn | Break off the point (45 ft) | Dodger + squid (deeper red/purple), Small spoon |
| Winter | 17 to 67 ft chart-limited; documented 20 to 80 ft | dawn | Deep basin (66 ft) | Small glow jig + corn or maggot, Tiny spoon |
In spring, rainbow trout run shallow here, mostly 5 to 20 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 8 to 30 ft before dropping to 8 to 40 ft for winter. Spring rainbow trout concentrate at Main-lake point, a prime-rated point around 12 ft. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. You won't need more than a dodger + spoon (deep troll) or a flutter spoon most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (12 ft) | Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon |
| Summer | 8 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (12 ft) | Dodger + spoon (deep troll), Flutter spoon |
| Fall | 10 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (12 ft) | Casting spoon, Jerkbait over shoals |
| Winter | 8 to 40 ft | dawn | Break off the point (45 ft) | Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white) |
Spring puts bluegill in skinny water — 1 to 6 ft is the zone. As the season builds they drop to 4 to 15 ft, wintering in 10 to 25 ft. Spring bluegill concentrate at Dock / pier line, a prime-rated dock line around 4 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. A small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 6 ft | midday & dusk | Dock / pier line (4 ft) | 1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings) |
| Summer | 4 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Dock / pier line (4 ft) | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday | Shallow bay flat (11 ft) | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 10 to 25 ft | midday | Shallow bay flat (11 ft) | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
Start shallow in spring: largemouth bass sit in 2 to 10 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 8 to 20 ft, and winter fish settle into 15 to 35 ft. The spot to know is Main-lake point, a point in about 12 ft of water that rates prime for largemouth bass in fall. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. Throw a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Dock / pier line (4 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (12 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (12 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | open water | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Count 12 structure marks on this chart. The deepest, Deep basin, sits near 66 ft.
Access data: Washington WDFW — Water Access Sites. Confirm conditions and fees locally before you launch.
| Date | Species | Count | Size |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 21 | Kokanee | 30,488 | — |
| Apr 21 | Rainbow trout | 2,020 | — |
| Nov 25, 2025 | Rainbow trout | 565 | — |
| Sep 29, 2025 | Rainbow trout | 710 | — |
| Sep 29, 2025 | Cutthroat trout | 100 | — |
| Sep 29, 2025 | Cutthroat trout | 225 | — |
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 Ward Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Washington fishing regulations →
Ward Lake is about 67 ft (20 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, kokanee, rainbow trout, bluegill, largemouth bass on Ward Lake.
Deep basin is the top-rated area: a deep basin in about 66 ft of water that rates prime for kokanee in summer. The map above holds the full rated-spot list for every 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, Ward Lake was most recently stocked May 21 with 30,488 kokanee. The full stocking history is listed above.
Fishing on Ward 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.
Chambers Lake 2 mi · Hicks Lake 4 mi · Pattison Lake 5 mi · Long Lake 5 mi · Black Lake 5 mi · Offutt Lake 7 mi · Budd Inlet 7 mi · Deep Lake 7 mi · Lake Saint Clair 7 mi · McIntosh Lake 11 mi · Summit Lake 11 mi · Forbes Lake 13 mi
See how Ward Lake stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Washington · best bluegill lakes in Washington · best rainbow trout lakes in Washington · best kokanee lakes in Washington
More water nearby: Thurston County fishing maps (14 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.