Merwin Reservoir Number 2 Fishing in Crook County, Oregon

• Overview

  Merwin Reservoir Number 2 lies in Crook County, Oregon. Height above sea level is 3,655 feet. At roughly 20 acres, the whole thing is within casting reach of a single walk. For a base, Prineville sits 37 miles out. For a city, Gresham is 147 miles off. The county line is nowhere near, so one local authority covers the water. There is no development on most of the bank.

• Where to Fish on Merwin Reservoir Number 2

  Open data we checked carries no depth for this water. Rip-rap along the wall holds fish that the open bank never does. Held water runs deepest at the wall and shallows back to the inflow. Fish documented in Crook County include rainbow trout, bridgelip sucker, largemouth bass and smallmouth bass. Protected fish appear in the records for this area, so treat the list as information, not an invitation. The near bank of this water is often the one people ignore.

• Seasonal Patterns

  On the long-term average, July reads 65°F and January reads 29°F. Temperature moves within a narrow band, and so does the fishing. Hard water here is never dependable, so check for yourself before stepping out. Late winter often fishes better here than midsummer does. It sets the rhythm of the year at this water.

• Tackle & Baits

  We have no record of the rules that apply on this bank. Access points are not mapped for this water, which suits people who like quiet. 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. Merwin Reservoir Number 1 sits 1.4 miles off and takes the overflow. Rules at this water are worth checking on the day.