Fishing Rockpile Lake in Linn County, Oregon

• Overview

  Linn County in Oregon is where Rockpile Lake sits. The water sits 6,276 feet up. Small at around 2 acres: two anglers spread out cover most of it. It sits higher than most water we list in Oregon. Sisters sits 22 miles from the bank. Salem sits 66 miles out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. The nearest boundary is well away, so one set of rules covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Rockpile Lake

  No depth figure appears in our records, so the bank has to tell you. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. County-wide records name rainbow trout, cutthroat trout, bluegill and largescale sucker. At least one recorded species is protected in parts of its range; read the local rules before targeting anything. Work Rockpile Lake in sections rather than trying to cover it.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect August near 56°F and December near 28°F on the long-run figures. Most months fish reasonably, given the right weather. Some winters give nothing at all, so plan for open water. The hot months push the fishing to dawn and dusk. Rockpile Lake runs to that rhythm year in and year out.

• Tackle & Baits

  There is no clear statement anywhere on who can fish it. There is no mapped parking or launch nearby, which keeps numbers down. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Take the rules with you rather than trusting memory. Rules for boats are stricter than rules for the bank in many places. Swallow Lake, 1.3 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. For Rockpile Lake, the notice at the access point is the final word.