Fishing Grande Ronde Lake in Baker County, Oregon

• Overview

  Look for Grande Ronde Lake in the Baker County part of Oregon. It sits in lake country bush. Small at around 10 acres: two anglers spread out cover most of it. By elevation it is in the upper part of our Oregon listings. Head to Union, 24 miles away, for anything you forgot. Beyond it, Baker City at 24 miles and La Grande at 25 miles. This one sits near enough to a boundary to be worth checking.

• Where to Fish on Grande Ronde Lake

  Without a survey to go on, judge depth from how the bank falls away. 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. Across Baker County, recorded fish include rainbow trout, brook trout, bluegill, flathead catfish and smallmouth bass. Records at county level tell you what is around, not what is stocked here. On Grande Ronde Lake the first feature you find is usually worth a session.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Between December at about 22°F and August at about 51°F, the water has a wide range to work through. Cold locks it up for a good stretch each year. Once it clears, about late May, the fishing comes on quickly. The lid tends to go about late May and return around mid November. Just after the ice goes and just before it returns, the fishing lifts. The season on Grande Ronde Lake rarely departs from it.

• Tackle & Baits

  There is no clear statement anywhere on who can fish it. Expect a half a mile walk in from where the car goes. Facilities include toilets around half a mile from here. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Where access is informal, keep it that way by behaving. Some ground is open by custom rather than by right, so tread carefully. If the gate is shut, Mud Lake at 0.9 miles is the nearest alternative. Rules at Grande Ronde Lake are worth checking on the day.