Lake Cushman Fishing
A 4,015-acre Washington lake in Mason County.
Pick for troutPiscifun Carbon X ultralight spinning reel28% OFFSale $57.99 Photo: Dan Ox, CC BY-SA 2.0
Lake Cushman: what to know first
WDFW lists Lake Cushman at 4,015 surface acres in Mason County. The water lies at roughly 739 feet of elevation. Allow about 20 miles of driving to Belfair, the nearest town. Management on record is trout-emphasis water. For WDFW purposes the county is in WDFW Region 6.
Its shoreline carries no launch in the access layers. WDFW names it in 7 Special Rules. Shore access, by WDFW: good.
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.
For the trout herePiscifun Carbon XT ultralight spinning reel25% OFFSale $59.99 Which fish WDFW records in Lake Cushman
The WDFW layers, records and plant report name these fish at Lake Cushman.
WDFW Fish Washington species layers (presence, not abundance), WDFW records and the 2026 trout plant report; retrieved October 31, 2026.
WDFW and park ramps on Lake Cushman
Boaters heading for Lake Cushman will find no ramp in the layers; check the closest ones below.
Second-choice ramps close to Lake Cushman
- Cady Lake boat launchCady Lake, 11 miles east
- Tee Lake boat launchTee Lake, 12 miles east
- Maggie Lake boat launchLake Maggie, 12 miles southeast
- Skokomish boat launchSkokomish River, 13 miles south
- Lake Wooten boat launchLake Wooten, 13 miles east
- Haven Lake boat launchHaven Lake, 14 miles east
Bank and pier spots near Lake Cushman
- Hoodsport Hatchery Handicap Platformfishing pier, Marine Area 12, 8 miles
- Hoodsport Pierfishing pier, Marine Area 12, 8 miles
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.
Taking fish home from Lake Cushman
| 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 |
For Lake Cushman, read the statewide rows first and then the water-specific lines.
Water-specific rules for Lake Cushman
| Water as printed | Species | Rule and season |
|---|---|---|
| Cushman Lake | All species | Two-Pole not allowed. No fishing for or retention of salmon allowed. Refer to statewide rules. |
| Cushman Lake | Kokanee | Min. size 8". Max. size 18". Daily limit 10. (Year-round) |
| Cushman Lake | Smallmouth bass | No min. size. Daily limit 15. Only 1 over 14" may be retained. (Year-round) |
| Cushman Lake | Largemouth bass | No min. size. Daily limit 10. Max. size 12", except 1 over 17" may be retained. (Year-round) |
| Cushman Lake | Channel catfish | No min. size. Daily limit 10. (Year-round) |
| Cushman Lake | Walleye | No min. size. Daily limit 16. Only 1 over 22" may be retained. (Year-round) |
| Cushman Lake | Other 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 82 (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.
Where Lake Cushman ranks among nearby water
Of the five closest Washington lakes with pages, Lake Kokanee has the most surface water at 103 acres.
| Lake | Distance | Acres | Elevation | Launches | 2026 plants |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Cushman | 4,015 | 739 ft | 0 | 0 | |
| Price Lake | 5 miles east | 65 | 723 ft | 0 | 0 |
| Lake Kokanee | 7 miles southeast | 103 | 484 ft | 1 | 4 |
| Melbourne Lake | 7 miles east | 39 | 789 ft | 0 | 0 |
| Aldrich Lake | 9 miles southeast | 11 | 447 ft | 1 | 3 |
| Robbins Lake | 10 miles southeast | 16 | 467 ft | 0 | 3 |
WDFW Fish Washington lake layers, access layers and the 2026 trout plant report; retrieved October 31, 2026.
Just past Lake Cushman
Other lakes in the Lake Cushman area
- Price Lake5 miles east
- Lake Kokanee7 miles southeast
- Melbourne Lake7 miles east
- Aldrich Lake9 miles southeast
- Robbins Lake10 miles southeast
Grabbing bait and leader on the way to Lake Cushman
- Fair Harbor Marinamarina, Allyn
- Jarrell's Cove Marinamarina, Shelton
- Oakland Bay Marinamarina, Shelton
- Hood Canal Marinamarina, Union
Guides and charters for Lake Cushman
- Puget Charterscharter, Shelton, (360) 490-8482
Overnight bases close to Lake Cushman
- Belfair20 miles
- Shelton20 miles
- Allyn21 miles
Counties that touch Lake Cushman
- Mason Countyseat: Shelton
Rods and reels from Piscifun ahead of a trip to Lake Cushman
Piscifun and Amazon links are affiliate links; the site earns a commission on qualifying purchases.
Fish worth recognising before a day at Lake Cushman
Photo: NPS Natural Resources, Public domain
Photo: Thomas Quine, CC BY 2.0
Photo: Pengo, CC BY-SA 2.5
Photo: Oregon State University, CC BY-SA 2.0
Lake Cushman questions with short answers
Which Washington town is closest to Lake Cushman?
WDFW maps it in Mason County, about 20 miles from Belfair.
What acreage is on file for Lake Cushman?
WDFW lists 4,015 acres.
Does Lake Cushman have a public ramp in the WDFW or State Parks layers?
The layers show no launch here.
What can a Washington angler expect to hook in Lake Cushman?
Expect coastal cutthroat trout and kokanee at the top of the WDFW list.
Which 2026-27 Washington rules apply on Lake Cushman?
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). The pamphlet also prints Special Rules for this lake; see the limits band.
Which WDFW license do I carry on Lake Cushman?
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.
Is Lake Cushman on the 2026 plant report?
The 2026 plant report lists no plant for it through late October.
Where can I pick up PowerBait and leader before Lake Cushman?
Try Fair Harbor Marina in the same county for bait and tackle.
Pencil in a weekend on Lake Cushman
Read the Special Rules, then pick the ramp nearest your spot.