Fish Lake in Baker County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Fish Lake falls in Baker County, part of Oregon. The bank is 6,637 feet above sea level. It runs to roughly 73 acres — big enough to hold fish away from the bank, small enough to learn. It ranks high for size among our Baker County listings. The nearest place of any size is Joseph, 22 miles away. It is 108 miles to Boise, the nearest city. It sits well inside the county, so one set of rules covers it.

• Where to Fish on Fish Lake

  Our records hold no depth for this water. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. County-wide records name rainbow trout, brook trout and bluegill. The county figures include rivers and lakes alike. Fish Lake responds to conditions more than to tactics.

• Seasonal Patterns

  August is the warm end of the year here, averaging about 55°F, while December sits near 21°F. Winter shuts things down for a spell, then spring reopens them fast. The lid usually goes in early May, which opens the strongest weeks of the year. Ice clears near early May and comes back about mid November in a typical year. Right after break-up, and again as the nights sharpen, is when to go. Anyone fishing Fish Lake regularly works to that calendar.

• Tackle & Baits

  The rules here are undocumented as far as public sources go. You can camp about half a mile away, going by the mapping. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Read any posted signs at the access point rather than assuming. Barbless rules turn up on managed water more often than not. Mehlhorn Reservoir sits 1.9 miles off and takes the overflow. Rules at Fish Lake are worth checking on the day.