Fishing at Photo Lake, Lane County, Oregon

• Overview

  Oregon holds Photo Lake, in Lane County. The bank is 5,515 feet above sea level. The water measures roughly 7 acres, so nothing here is far from anything else. Start from Oakridge, 19 miles down the road. Eugene sits 55 miles out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. No county line comes close, which keeps the paperwork simple.

• Where to Fish on Photo Lake

  No depth figure has reached our records, which makes a plummet useful. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Survey and observation records for Lane County include rainbow trout, cutthroat trout and largescale sucker. Some of the species recorded here are protected or tightly regulated, so check what may be targeted before you fish. Photo Lake gives up more to patience than to distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect August near 56°F and December near 29°F on the long-run figures. A long season, with weather mattering more than the month. In milder years the edges alone go, and the middle never sets. November and March are the quiet, comfortable months to be out. At Photo Lake the season follows that pattern closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing on record says whether the bank is open or closed. Expect 0.9 miles away in from where the car goes. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Ask in the nearest town if you are unsure. Keep proof of licence with you rather than in the car. Fig Lake at 0.2 miles is the sensible second choice. For Photo Lake, the notice at the access point is the final word.