Miller Lake Fishing Guide, Crook County, Oregon

• Overview

  In Oregon, Miller Lake belongs to Crook County. The setting is rolling hill. Surface area runs to about 12 acres — small enough to read in one session. For a base, Prineville sits 30 miles out. For a city, Eugene is 138 miles off. Nearby alternatives: Reams Reservoir near enough 0.6 miles, Double Cabin Pond 3.8 miles, Pine Creek Reservoir near enough 4.6 miles, Mainline Reservoir Number 2 4.8 miles and Mainline Reservoir Number 1 near enough 5.2 miles. No border sits close enough to matter.

• Where to Fish on Miller Lake

  There is no recorded depth, so work from what you can see. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. County-wide records name rainbow trout, bridgelip sucker, largemouth bass and smallmouth bass. At least one recorded species is protected in parts of its range; read the local rules before targeting anything. The shape of Miller Lake rewards a slow walk along one bank.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warm month here averages 61°F; the cold one sits at 27°F. Temperature moves within a narrow band, and so does the fishing. It should never be assumed safe, whatever the month says. November and March are the quiet, comfortable months to be out. Miller Lake fishes to that pattern most years.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether the bank is open is not something our records settle. There is a campsite half a mile from the water. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Take the rules with you rather than trusting memory. Night access is frequently treated as a separate matter. Failing this one, try Reams Reservoir, 0.6 miles away. Ask locally about Miller Lake if anything is unclear.