Green Lake in Wallowa County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Within Wallowa County, Oregon, you have Green Lake. Height above sea level is 7,001 feet. Surface area runs to about 15 acres — small enough to read in one session. Compared with other Oregon water on our list, it sits high. Start from Joseph, 14 miles down the road. The nearest city of size is Tri-Cities, 107 miles away. It sits well inside the county, so one set of rules covers it.

• Where to Fish on Green Lake

  Without a survey to go on, judge depth from how the bank falls away. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Records held for Wallowa County cover sockeye salmon, brook trout, rainbow trout and mountain whitefish. Protected fish appear in the records for this area, so treat the list as information, not an invitation. Fish Green Lake to its features, not to its size.

• Seasonal Patterns

  In an average year August sits at 52°F and December at 20°F. The middle months are generous; the ends are demanding. Break-up comes around mid May, and the run that follows is short and strong. The season between ice runs from about mid May to mid November. From the thaw to midsummer the fishing improves week by week. On Green Lake the same rules apply, with local timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  Ownership and access are not documented in what we hold. Nothing is mapped in the way of a ramp or car park within a short radius. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Parking space is the usual limit rather than the bank itself. Keep proof of licence with you rather than in the car. Should this one be busy, Hazel Lake is 1.7 miles off. The position on Green Lake is worth confirming on the day.