Fishing at Bingham Lake, Linn County, Oregon

• Overview

  Within Linn County, Oregon, you have Bingham Lake. It sits at 4,734 feet above sea level. At 3 acres it is the sort of place you fish for an evening rather than a day. You are 27 miles from Sisters. Salem sits 62 miles out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. The nearest boundary is well away, so one set of rules covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Bingham Lake

  There is no recorded depth, so work from what you can see. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Fish documented in Linn County include rainbow trout, cutthroat trout and bluegill. Several of these carry legal protection or closed seasons; the rulebook comes before the rod. The shape of Bingham Lake decides where the fish sit.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages here run 57°F at the top of summer and 30°F at the bottom of winter. The year gives four workable seasons without severe ends. Hard water here is never dependable, so check for yourself before stepping out. March through May is the strongest run, with October and November a second stretch. Bingham Lake runs to its own calendar within the local pattern.

• Tackle & Baits

  No access rule appears in what we hold. No made access is recorded, so a short walk in is the likely arrangement. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Look for a notice board at the entrance. Where tickets apply, they are sold in the nearest town rather than on the bank. Should this one be busy, Lizard Lake is 1 mile off. Check the current arrangement for Bingham Lake.