Lake Spokane Fishing
A 4,748-acre Washington lake in Stevens, Spokane and Lincoln counties.
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First look at Lake Spokane
By the WDFW lake layer, Lake Spokane covers 4,748 acres of Stevens, Spokane and Lincoln counties. Expect an elevation of about 1,538 feet at the shoreline. Suncrest lies near 7 miles from the WDFW lake point. WDFW treats it as mixed-species water managed with a trout emphasis. It falls within WDFW Region 1 by the plant report.
Boaters can choose among 4 launches (4 public) in the WDFW and State Parks layers. The shore fishing layer adds 2 shore fishing sites. Read 2 Special Rules before keeping a fish. The access field reads 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.
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Fish on file for Lake Spokane across the WDFW layers and plant report:
WDFW Fish Washington species layers (presence, not abundance), WDFW records and the 2026 trout plant report; retrieved October 31, 2026.
Launching on Lake Spokane
- Riverside, Lake Spokane area LaunchDiscover Pass, Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission
- Riverside, Long Lake area dock on Lake SpokaneDiscover Pass, Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission
- Riverside, Long Lake area launch on Lake SpokaneDiscover Pass, Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission
- Riverside, Long Lake area launch on Lake SpokaneDiscover Pass, Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission
WDFW piers and shoreline sites on Lake Spokane
- Lake Spokane fishing pier near Suncrestshore fishing site, Public dock, limited shore fishing around swimming beach
- Lake Spokane fishing piershore fishing site, Public dock, shore fishing east of boat launch
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.
Daily limits, Lake Spokane
| 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 |
The statewide freshwater limits are the default at Lake Spokane, with Special Rules on top.
How Lake Spokane breaks with the statewide tables
| Water as printed | Species | Rule and season |
|---|---|---|
| Long Lake: from Long Lake Dam to Nine Mile Dam, including Little Spokane River from the mouth to the SR 291 Bridge | All game fish | Statewide min. size/daily limit. (Year-round) |
| Long Lake: from Long Lake Dam to Nine Mile Dam, including Little Spokane River from the mouth to the SR 291 Bridge | Salmon | Landlocked salmon rules. (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 96 (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.
Lake Spokane beside nearby lakes
Loon Lake is the biggest of these neighbours, 1,086 acres by WDFW.
| Lake | Distance | Acres | Elevation | Launches | 2026 plants |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Spokane | 4,748 | 1,538 ft | 4 | 0 | |
| Horseshoe Lake (Spokane County) | 5 miles south | 69 | 2,454 ft | 0 | 0 |
| Loon Lake | 16 miles northeast | 1,086 | 2,385 ft | 1 | 2 |
| West Medical Lake | 18 miles south | 206 | 2,427 ft | 1 | 3 |
| North Silver Lake | 18 miles south | 71 | 2,345 ft | 0 | 0 |
| Medical Lake | 18 miles south | 123 | 2,398 ft | 0 | 0 |
WDFW Fish Washington lake layers, access layers and the 2026 trout plant report; retrieved October 31, 2026.
Not far from Lake Spokane
More Washington lakes around Lake Spokane
- Horseshoe Lake (Spokane County)5 miles south
- Loon Lake16 miles northeast
- West Medical Lake18 miles south
- North Silver Lake18 miles south
- Medical Lake18 miles south
Shops to stop at before Lake Spokane
- Dick's Sporting Goods Spokanesporting goods store, Spokane, 18 miles
- Sportsman's Warehouse Spokanesporting goods store, Spokane, 18 miles
- Seven Bays Marinamarina, Davenport
- Two Rivers Marinamarina, Davenport
- Lord of the Streams Fly Fishingfly shop, Cheney
- Rod Leash Cobait and tackle shop, Cheney
Hiring a guide on Lake Spokane
- Farnorth Charterscharter, Colville, (360) 481-4521
Cities and towns within reach of Lake Spokane
- Suncrest7 miles
- Airway Heights15 miles
- Fairchild AFB16 miles
County pages covering Lake Spokane
- Stevens Countyseat: Colville
- Spokane Countyseat: Spokane
- Lincoln Countyseat: Davenport
Piscifun tackle sorted for the drive to Lake Spokane
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Photographs of fishing water around Lake Spokane
Photo: FunGi_ (Trading), CC BY-SA 2.0
Photo: Ken Lund, CC BY-SA 2.0
Photo: Sjensen~, CC BY 2.0
Photo: Bjorn, CC BY-SA 2.0
Clearing up a trip to Lake Spokane
Which county line is Lake Spokane near?
Its WDFW point falls inside Stevens, Spokane and Lincoln counties, about 7 miles from Suncrest.
How many surface acres does WDFW list for Lake Spokane?
Roughly 4,748 acres.
Where does a trailered boat go in at Lake Spokane?
4 launches, including Riverside, Lake Spokane area Launch (4 public in all).
Which species swim in Lake Spokane?
WDFW points to rainbow trout, brown trout, kokanee, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, walleye and brown bullhead.
Does a minimum or slot size apply to fish kept at Lake Spokane?
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). A Special Rule changes part of that here, as shown above.
Is a catch record card needed on Lake Spokane?
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.
How many trout has WDFW put in Lake Spokane?
No 2026 trout plant names it so far.
Which Washington tackle counter on our list is handy to Lake Spokane?
Closest on our list: Dick's Sporting Goods Spokane, about 18 miles away.
Put Lake Spokane on the list before the next plant
Buy the WDFW license online before leaving town.