Deep Lake (Kittitas County)

Nestled in a valley far below scenic Cathedral Rock, the enticing blue waters of popular Deep Lake beckon. Fishermen making the 1200' descent from Cathedral Pass will be rewarded with a healthy but sometimes moody population of Rainbow Trout and Westslope Cutthroat Trout. Several well-established campsites with opportunities for shore fishing can be found along the west shore of the lake.

Getting here:

From I-90, take the Roslyn/Salmon La Sac exit. Drive the Salmon La Sac/Cle Elum River Road almost to its end. Right before the Tucquala Meadows campground, take a left into the large parking lot for trail #1345. Follow this trail past Squaw Lake to Cathedral Pass (~4.5 miles). At this intersection take a left on the PCT and in .3 miles another left to descend 2.9 miles to the Deep Lake turnoff on your right. An alternate but longer approach is from Waptus Lake on the PCT up Spinola Creek.

Species you might catch

Lake information

County: Kittitas
Acreage: 39.90 ac.
Elevation: 4386 ft.
TRS: T24R14E SEC30
Center: 47.54655, -121.141979
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Fishing resources

Fishing prospects calendar

Rainbow trout

Fishing success for Rainbow Trout is generally best in the spring when thousands of fish are stocked statewide, but they can be caught year-round in most waters with a little patience and persistence. Success remains high into June and gradually declines as water temperatures increase and fish move offshore to stay cool. Fish that escaped the spring harvest return to the nearshore areas in the fall as waters cool off. Some waters may also be stocked again in the fall further boosting catch rates.

Photos

Photo by WDFW