Ward 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 Ward 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 Ward Lake on the board.

Fishing Ward Lake: what the data says

65-acre lake near Olympia. The lake tops out around 67 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.

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.

Cutthroat Trout fishing at Ward Lake

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

Kokanee fishing at Ward Lake

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.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	10 to 30 ft	dawn	Deep basin (66 ft)	Small dodger + squid (pink), Wedding-ring spinner + corn
Summer	20 to 67 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	dawn	Deep basin (66 ft)	Small glow jig + corn or maggot, Tiny spoon

Rainbow Trout fishing at Ward Lake

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)

Notable structure

Count 12 structure marks on this chart. The deepest, Deep basin, sits near 66 ft.

Deep basin: deep basin, around 66 ft
Break off the point: drop-off, around 45 ft
Dock / pier line: dock line, around 15 ft
Back-bay flat: feeding flat, around 14 ft
Main-lake point: point, around 12 ft
Shallow bay flat: feeding flat, around 11 ft
Dock / pier line: dock line, around 8 ft
Dock / pier line: dock line, around 8 ft
Dock / pier line: dock line, around 4 ft
Dock / pier line: dock line, around 4 ft
Dock / pier line: dock line, around 4 ft
Dock / pier line: dock line, around 4 ft

Public access & boat ramps

Ward Lake — ramp (concrete)

Access data: Washington WDFW — Water Access Sites. Confirm conditions and fees locally before you launch.

Ward Lake stocking report

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 2026-08-18.

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

Check the official Washington fishing regulations →

Common questions

How deep is Ward Lake?

Ward Lake is about 67 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 Ward Lake?

Anglers target cutthroat trout, kokanee, rainbow trout on Ward Lake.

Where is the best fishing spot 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.

When is the best time to fish Ward Lake?

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.

Is Ward Lake stocked with fish?

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.

What are the fishing regulations for Ward Lake?

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.

Nearby waters

Chambers Lake 2 mi · Hicks Lake 4 mi · Pattison Lake 5 mi · Long Lake 5 mi · Black Lake 5 mi · Offutt Lake 7 mi · Deep Lake 7 mi · Lake Saint Clair 7 mi · McIntosh Lake 11 mi · Summit Lake 11 mi · Forbes Lake 13 mi · Florence Lake 14 mi

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

More water nearby: Thurston County fishing maps (14 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.