Demaris Lake in Deschutes County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Look for Demaris Lake in the Deschutes County part of Oregon. The surroundings are pine and birch. At roughly 4 acres, the whole thing is within casting reach of a single walk. It is high ground by Oregon standards. The nearest place of any size is Sisters, 14 miles away. Then Deschutes River Woods, 21 miles, and Bend, 21 miles. It sits well inside its county, with no border complications.

• Where to Fish on Demaris Lake

  Depth is unmeasured here, so let the shoreline guide you. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Public occurrence data for Deschutes County names rainbow trout, brook trout, mountain whitefish, brown trout and largemouth bass. Protected fish appear in the records for this area, so treat the list as information, not an invitation. Treat Demaris Lake as a water to read rather than to cover.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages move between 25°F in December and 53°F in August. The middle months are generous; the ends are demanding. Winter locks it down, and mid May brings it back. Break-up sits around mid May on average, with the water closing again about late November. Look to early summer and the first cool weeks of autumn. Plan around that when you fish Demaris Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether you may fish here is not something records settle. There is no mapped parking or launch nearby, which keeps numbers down. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Check whether a boat is allowed before you tow one. Where parking is tight, arriving early solves most problems. Failing this one, try Camp Lake, 1.4 miles away. Nothing on Demaris Lake should be assumed from this page alone.