Fishing Ice Lake in Wallowa County, Oregon

• Overview

  The Wallowa County entry here is Ice Lake, in Oregon. It lies 7,835 feet above sea level. The water covers some 64 acres, so pick a bank rather than trying to cover it all. A plain outline means the drop-off does the work that bays would elsewhere. It ranks high for size among our Wallowa County listings. Joseph is the closest place, 8.9 miles off. Tri-Cities is the closest city, 116 miles away. The nearest edge is a long way off, so local rules apply throughout.

• Where to Fish on Ice Lake

  Our records hold no depth for this water. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Fish documented in Wallowa County include sockeye salmon, brook trout and rainbow trout. Protected fish appear in the records for this area, so treat the list as information, not an invitation. Work Ice Lake in sections rather than trying to cover it.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Temperature averages peak at 50°F in August and bottom out at 18°F in December. Fishing here follows the temperature more than the calendar. Firm cover through the cold months, then open water from early June. The water is typically free of ice between early June and early November. The shoulder weeks of the open season are the productive ones. At Ice Lake the season follows that pattern closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  Who may fish here is not settled in anything we hold. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. You can camp about half a mile away, going by the mapping. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. Where the road in crosses private land, ask first. A polite question at the farm gate opens more banks than anything else. The nearest alternative is Razz Lake, 1.2 miles out. Confirm before you fish Ice Lake.