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Coastal Cutthroat Trout
Photo: USFWS – Pacific Region, Public domain 
Kokanee
Photo: Thomas Quine, CC BY 2.0 
Walleye
Photo: Argyleist, CC BY 2.0 
Mountain Whitefish
Photo: Mike Cline, Public domain
Washington lakes and reservoirs
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Lake Cavanaugh Fishing
A 833-acre Washington lake in Skagit County.
Pick for troutPiscifun Carbon X ultralight spinning reel28% OFFSale $57.99 Photo of Port Susan: Cindy Shebley, CC BY 2.0
Skagit County
Lake Cavanaugh in figures
Lake Cavanaugh holds 833 surface acres of water in Skagit County, per WDFW. WDFW records the lake at about 1,012 feet. The run to Arlington Heights, the closest town, is about 8 miles. WDFW manages it as mixed-species water managed with a trout emphasis. The WDFW plant report places its county in WDFW Region 4.
WDFW and State Parks list 1 launch here, 1 open to the public. Bank anglers have 1 shore fishing site. It carries 2 Special Rules of its own. WDFW rates shoreline access as good.
833surface acres
1,012 ftelevation
1launches
1shore sites
WDFW Fish Washington lake layers on geodataservices.wdfw.wa.gov (surface acres, elevation, management emphasis, shoreline access, species), USGS NHD outlines, Census 2023 places, retrieved October 31, 2026.
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Species the WDFW lake layer names at Lake Cavanaugh
For Lake Cavanaugh, our WDFW sources list the species below.
WDFW Fish Washington species layers (presence, not abundance), WDFW records and the 2026 trout plant report; retrieved October 31, 2026.
Access
Ramps on Lake Cavanaugh
- Lake Cavanaugh boat launch1 ramp, gravel surface, Discover Pass, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife
Fishing Lake Cavanaugh from shore
- Lake Cavanaugh shore accessshore fishing site, Very limited shore fishing at boat launch
Other ramps near Lake Cavanaugh
- Lime Quarry boat launch on North Fork Stillaguamish RiverNorth Fork Stillaguamish River, 6 miles southwest
- Riley Lake boat launchRiley Lake, 6 miles southeast
- Lake Armstrong boat launchLake Armstrong, 9 miles southwest
- Lake McMurray boat launchLake McMurray, 10 miles west
- Big Lake boat launchBig Lake, 11 miles west
- Sixteen Lake boat launchSixteen Lake, 13 miles west
WDFW Water Access Sites and Shore Fishing Sites layers (geodataservices.wdfw.wa.gov) and the Washington State Parks boat launch layer, retrieved October 31, 2026. A Discover Pass is needed to park at WDFW access sites and State Parks launches.
Limits
Limits that apply on Lake Cavanaugh
| Species | Daily limit and size | Season |
|---|---|---|
| Largemouth Bass | No min. size in lakes, ponds, and reservoirs. Only largemouth bass less than 12" may be retained, except 1 over 17" may be retained. Daily limit 5. | Lakes, ponds, and reservoirs: year-round; rivers, streams and beaver ponds: Sat. before Memorial Day through Oct. 31 |
| Smallmouth Bass | No min. size in lakes, ponds, and reservoirs. Only 1 smallmouth bass over 14" may be retained. Daily limit 10. | Lakes, ponds, and reservoirs: year-round; rivers, streams and beaver ponds: Sat. before Memorial Day through Oct. 31 |
| Walleye | Min. size 12" in lakes, ponds, and reservoirs. Daily limit 8. Only 1 over 22" may be retained. May be caught, retained, and released alive from a livewell until daily limit is in possession. | Lakes, ponds, and reservoirs: year-round; rivers, streams and beaver ponds: Sat. before Memorial Day through Oct. 31 |
| Channel Catfish | No min. size in lakes, ponds, and reservoirs. Daily limit 5. | Lakes, ponds, and reservoirs: year-round; rivers, streams and beaver ponds: Sat. before Memorial Day through Oct. 31 |
| Burbot (Freshwater Ling) | No min. size. Daily limit 5. | Lakes, ponds, and reservoirs: year-round; rivers, streams and beaver ponds: Sat. before Memorial Day through Oct. 31 (p.23 general rule for |
| Crappie, Northern Pikeminnow, Peamouth Chub, Perch, Suckers, Sunfish, | No min. size. No daily limit. | Lakes, ponds, and reservoirs: year-round; rivers, streams and beaver ponds: Sat. before Memorial Day through Oct. 31 |
| Grass Carp | Closed unless otherwise listed in Special Rules. | Closed |
| Kokanee | No min. size. Daily limit 10. When fishing with bait, all kokanee that are lawful to possess and are equal to or greater than the minimum size are counted as part of the daily limit whether kept or released. | Lakes, ponds, and reservoirs: year-round; rivers, streams and beaver ponds: Sat. before Memorial Day through Oct. 31 (p.23 general rule for |
| Tiger Muskellunge (Tiger Muskie) | Min. size 50". Daily limit 1. | Lakes, ponds, and reservoirs: year-round; rivers, streams and beaver ponds: Sat. before Memorial Day through Oct. 31 (p.23 general rule for |
| Whitefish | No min. size. Daily limit 15. | Lakes, ponds, and reservoirs: year-round; rivers, streams and beaver ponds: Sat. before Memorial Day through Oct. 31 (p.23 general rule for |
| Steelhead | Release all wild steelhead. Min. size 20". Daily limit 2. Open during salmon or game fish seasons unless as otherwise listed. | Open during salmon or game fish seasons unless as otherwise listed |
| Brown Trout, Cutthroat Trout, Rainbow Trout, Golden Trout, Tiger Trout | In lakes, ponds, and reservoirs: No min. size. Daily limit 5. | Year-round (statewide lake season, p.23) |
| Trout (combined rivers and lakes same day) | The combined daily limit for an angler that fishes in both rivers and lakes on the same day is 5 trout, no more than 2 may be from rivers. | see the pamphlet |
| Lake Trout | No min. size. No daily limit. | Lakes, ponds, and reservoirs: year-round; rivers, streams and beaver ponds: Sat. before Memorial Day through Oct. 31 (p.23 general rule for |
| Eastern Brook Trout (EBT) | No min. size. No daily limit. | Lakes, ponds, and reservoirs: year-round; rivers, streams and beaver ponds: Sat. before Memorial Day through Oct. 31 (p.23 general rule for |
| Dolly Varden/Bull Trout | Closed unless otherwise listed in Special Rules. | Closed |
Lake Cavanaugh follows the statewide freshwater tables except where the pamphlet names it.
Special Rules WDFW lists for Lake Cavanaugh
| Water as printed | Species | Rule and season |
|---|---|---|
| Cavanaugh Lake | All species | Chumming permitted. |
| Cavanaugh Lake | All game fish | Statewide min. size/daily limit. (Year-round) |
Special Rules as printed in the 2026-2027 Washington Sport Fishing Rules (WDFW pamphlet, in effect July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027), pamphlet page 81 (pamphlet PDF), read on eRegulations October 31, 2026.
Anglers 16 and older need a Washington Freshwater license ($39.95 resident, $115.85 nonresident for 2026-27) or a Combination license; salmon, steelhead and sturgeon also take a catch record card.
Limits and seasons as printed in the 2026-2027 Washington Sport Fishing Rules (WDFW pamphlet, in effect July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027), PDF page 27 (pamphlet PDF; eRegulations statewide freshwater page), read October 31, 2026.
Compare
Measuring Lake Cavanaugh against its neighbours
The size leader in this set is Big Lake, 536 acres.
| Lake | Distance | Acres | Elevation | Launches | 2026 plants |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Cavanaugh | 833 | 1,012 ft | 1 | 0 | |
| Riley Lake | 6 miles southeast | 30 | 530 ft | 1 | 1 |
| Lake Armstrong | 8 miles southwest | 30 | 139 ft | 1 | 1 |
| Lake McMurray | 10 miles west | 155 | 230 ft | 1 | 2 |
| Big Lake | 11 miles northwest | 536 | 83 ft | 1 | 0 |
| Sixteen Lake | 13 miles west | 43 | 427 ft | 1 | 1 |
WDFW Fish Washington lake layers, access layers and the 2026 trout plant report; retrieved October 31, 2026.
Nearby
Around the Lake Cavanaugh area
Lakes for a second day beyond Lake Cavanaugh
- Riley Lake6 miles southeast
- Lake Armstrong8 miles southwest
- Lake McMurray10 miles west
- Big Lake11 miles northwest
- Sixteen Lake13 miles west
Where to buy worms, eggs and jigs for Lake Cavanaugh
- Dick's Sporting Goods Marysvillesporting goods store, Marysville, 14 miles
- Cabela's Tulalipsporting goods store, Tulalip, 18 miles
- Cape Sante Marinamarina, Anacortes
- Fidalgo Marinamarina, Anacortes
- Harbor Landmarina, Anacortes
- Northwest Docksmarina, Anacortes
Washington towns handy to Lake Cavanaugh
- Arlington Heights8 miles
- Bryant9 miles
- Big Lake12 miles
Counties that hold part of Lake Cavanaugh
- Skagit Countyseat: Mount Vernon
Piscifun
What Piscifun sells for a morning at Lake Cavanaugh
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Fish photos
How to tell one Lake Cavanaugh fish from another, by photo
Photo: USFWS – Pacific Region, Public domain
.jpg){kind=link}
Photo: Thomas Quine, CC BY 2.0
Photo: Argyleist, CC BY 2.0
Photo: Mike Cline, Public domain
Answers
Lake Cavanaugh, asked and answered for Evergreen State anglers
Which Washington county holds Lake Cavanaugh?
Drive toward Skagit County, about 8 miles from Arlington Heights.
How big is Lake Cavanaugh by the WDFW figure?
833 acres in the WDFW layer.
How many launches do the access layers show on Lake Cavanaugh?
1 launch listed; Lake Cavanaugh boat launch is a good first choice.
Does Lake Cavanaugh hold trout?
Listed species: rainbow trout, coastal cutthroat trout, kokanee and largemouth bass.
Which 2026-27 pamphlet rows govern Lake Cavanaugh?
Brown Trout, Cutthroat Trout, Rainbow Trout, Golden Trout, Tiger Trout: In lakes, ponds, and reservoirs: No min. size. Daily limit 5.; Year-round (statewide lake season, p.23). WDFW adds rules of its own for it in the limits band.
Which WDFW license does an out-of-state angler buy for Lake Cavanaugh?
Anglers 16 and older need a Washington Freshwater license ($39.95 resident, $115.85 nonresident for 2026-27) or a Combination license; salmon, steelhead and sturgeon also take a catch record card.
Has WDFW stocked Lake Cavanaugh this year?
It does not appear on the 2026 plant report yet.
Which tackle shop on our Washington list is nearest Lake Cavanaugh?
Dick's Sporting Goods Marysville is the nearest tackle stop we list, about 14 miles away.
Load the truck for Lake Cavanaugh
Every WDFW fee and statewide limit sits one click away.