Ernie Lake, Oregon: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Ernie Lake is a Lane County water, in Oregon. The bank is 5,387 feet above sea level. It is pond-in-a-field scale, with the far bank a short lob away. On size it sits at the modest end of our Lane County list. Oakridge sits 21 miles from here and is the nearest stop. Beyond it, La Pine at 28 miles and Three Rivers at 29 miles. It lies deep inside the county rather than near an edge.

• Where to Fish on Ernie Lake

  Depth is unknown to us, and the shoreline is the better guide. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Open biodiversity records for Lane County list rainbow trout, cutthroat trout, largescale sucker and Coho salmon. Some of the species recorded here are protected or tightly regulated, so check what may be targeted before you fish. Work Ernie Lake in sections rather than trying to cover it.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Climate records put August near 57°F and December near 29°F. Conditions shift steadily rather than sharply. Some winters give nothing at all, so plan for open water. Autumn steadies things again once the heat lets go. Keep it in mind when planning a trip to Ernie Lake. The first warm days of the year bring fish shallow quickly.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether the bank is open is not something our records settle. There is no mapped parking or launch close by, which usually means walking in. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Rules for this water may differ from the county norm. Barbless rules turn up on managed water more often than not. Lake Kiwa, 0.2 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. For Ernie Lake, the notice at the access point is the final word.