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Fishing Willapa Bay: what the data says
74,601-acre bay near South Bend. The water tops out around 94 ft. The depth chart is built from real NOAA hydrographic survey soundings (depths referenced to low tide), so the channels, holes and drop-offs you see are measured, not guessed. What follows comes from the same scoring engine that paints the spots above.
Chinook Salmon fishing at Willapa Bay
In spring, chinook salmon run shallow here, mostly 5 to 40 ft. By summer they slide out to 28 to 94 ft, and by winter most fish are in 30 to 90 ft. The spot to know is Goulters Slough inflow, a inflow / creek mouth in about 11 ft of water that rates prime for chinook salmon in spring. Best bite is early morning and the evening. A flasher + fly (green/white) or a magnum spoon on downrigger covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | Trolled spoon (orange/gold), Stickbait off planer boards |
| Summer | 28 to 94 ft | dawn & dusk | Flasher + fly (green/white), Magnum spoon on downrigger |
| Fall | 10 to 50 ft | dawn & dusk | J-plug (glow), Flasher + fly |
| Winter | 30 to 90 ft | midday | Small spoon on a slow troll, Stickbait deep |
Coho Salmon fishing at Willapa Bay
Start shallow in spring: coho salmon sit in 3 to 25 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 30 to 70 ft, and winter fish settle into 20 to 60 ft. The spot to know is Goulters Slough inflow, a inflow / creek mouth in about 11 ft of water that rates prime for coho salmon in spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Tie on a dodger + fly or a medium spoon above the thermocline and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Small orange dodger + peanut fly, Thin spoon (orange/silver) |
| Summer | 30 to 70 ft | dawn & dusk | Dodger + fly, Medium spoon above the thermocline |
| Fall | 8 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | Casting spoon, Spinner (chartreuse) |
| Winter | 20 to 60 ft | midday | Small spoon, slow troll |
Cutthroat Trout fishing at Willapa Bay
Start shallow in spring: cutthroat trout sit in 3 to 15 ft that time of year. By summer they slide out to 10 to 35 ft, and by winter most fish are in 10 to 40 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Goulters Slough inflow: a inflow / creek mouth around 11 ft that scores prime in spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. A trolled spoon (small) or a inline spinner covers the summer program.
| 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 |
Notable structure
- Deep basin: deep basin, around 79 ft
- Deepest basin: deep basin, around 77 ft
- Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 38 ft
- Feeding flat: feeding flat, around 27 ft
- Break off the point: drop-off, around 15 ft
- Old creek channel: creek channel, around 12 ft
- Goulters Slough inflow: inflow / creek mouth, around 11 ft
- Espy Slough inflow: inflow / creek mouth, around 11 ft
- Rock reef: rock pile, around 11 ft
- Marina / dock area: dock line, around 10 ft
- Secondary point: point, around 9 ft
- Shallow feeding flat: feeding flat, around 9 ft
- Rock reef: rock pile, around 9 ft
- Shallow flat: weed flat, around 9 ft
Common questions
How deep is Willapa Bay?
Willapa Bay is about 94 ft at its deepest point. The depth chart here comes from real NOAA hydrographic surveys (charted soundings referenced to low tide), so the contours reflect measured depths.
What fish are in Willapa Bay?
Anglers target chinook salmon, coho salmon, cutthroat trout on Willapa Bay.
Where is the best fishing spot on Willapa Bay?
Goulters Slough inflow is the top-rated area: a inflow / creek mouth in about 11 ft of water that rates prime for chinook salmon in spring. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
When is the best time to fish Willapa Bay?
For chinook salmon, 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
Loomis Lake · Island Lake · Black Lake · Grays Harbor · Duck Lake · Lake Aberdeen
See how Willapa Bay stacks up: best chinook salmon lakes in Washington · best coho salmon lakes in Washington · best cutthroat trout lakes in Washington
Browse all Washington fishing maps or every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry credit: NOAA Office of Coast Survey (ENC soundings, MLLW datum). How we build these maps. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.