Bully Creek Reservoir Fishing in Malheur County, Oregon

• Overview

  Bully Creek Reservoir is one of the Malheur County waters in Oregon. The water sits 2,503 feet up. At some 611 acres it is far too large to cover on foot in a day. The perimeter runs near 7.3 miles, so plan the walk before you start. On our Malheur County list it sits near the top for size. Vale lies 9.5 miles from the water. It is 67 miles to Boise, the nearest city. It sits well inside the county, so one set of rules covers it.

• Where to Fish on Bully Creek Reservoir

  Depth is unknown to us, and the shoreline is the better guide. Look for where the old bank line still shows under the surface. Held water runs deepest at the wall and shallows back to the inflow. Survey and observation records for Malheur County include rainbow trout, smallmouth bass, common carp, flathead catfish and channel catfish. The county figures include rivers and lakes alike. Bully Creek Reservoir repays a walk before the first cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The seasonal spread runs 27°F to 73°F. A long season, with weather mattering more than the month. It is not guaranteed even in a cold spell, so check yourself. The hot months push the fishing to dawn and dusk. That is the shape of the year on Bully Creek Reservoir. Autumn feeding runs harder as the light drops away.

• Tackle & Baits

  The paperwork position is blank for this one. There are toilets mapped about half a mile away. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Rules differ from one water to the next round here. Keep proof of licence with you rather than in the car. Pole Creek Reservoir, 17 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. Where Bully Creek Reservoir is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.