Gay Lake, Oregon: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Gay Lake is set in Columbia County, Oregon. It sits in dry hill country. It covers about 9 acres, so this is small water you can walk round in under an hour. By elevation it sits in the lower part of our Oregon listings. The nearest place of any size is Felida, 4.1 miles away. Vancouver sits 8.7 miles out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. A border sits close enough to be relevant to the paperwork.

• Where to Fish on Gay Lake

  No figure exists for depth, so let the water show you. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Across Columbia County, recorded fish include Coho salmon, bluegill, yellow perch, largemouth bass and white crappie. Some of the species recorded here are protected or tightly regulated, so check what may be targeted before you fish. Anyone new to Gay Lake should walk it once before setting up.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warm month here averages 65°F; the cold one sits at 40°F. Temperatures stay workable through the cold season. The first and last hours carry the summer; the middle is slow. June to September is hot work, so the first and last hours are what count. Gay Lake runs to that rhythm year in and year out.

• Tackle & Baits

  The paperwork position is blank for this one. The nearest car park we can see is half a mile out, so expect a walk with your gear. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Check whether a boat is allowed before you tow one. Fishing rules and camping rules are set separately here. Failing this one, try Racetrack Lake, 0.6 miles away. Rules at Gay Lake are worth checking on the day.