Fishing at Shirley Lake, Linn County, Oregon

• Overview

  You will find Shirley Lake in Linn County, Oregon. This is open valley country. About 3 acres of surface, which puts the far bank inside easy sight. Sisters is the closest town at 23 miles. Culver is 29 miles and Warm Springs 29 miles. Also worth knowing: Carl Lake at about 0.2 miles, Cabot Lake some 1.2 miles off, Rockpile Lake at about 2.2 miles, Patsy Lake some 2.2 miles off and Swallow Lake at about 2.2 miles. There is no boundary nearby to worry about.

• Where to Fish on Shirley Lake

  We hold no survey for this water; read the slope of the shoreline instead. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. County-wide records name rainbow trout, cutthroat trout and bluegill. Protected fish appear in the records for this area, so treat the list as information, not an invitation. On Shirley Lake a short move beats a long cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-run averages give August about 56°F and December about 28°F. Ice comes and goes from one year to the next. Hard water here is never dependable, so check for yourself before stepping out. The cooler months are the comfortable ones to fish here. Shirley Lake runs to that rhythm year in and year out.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public sources are silent on who controls the bank. No made access appears within a short radius, so plan to park on a verge and walk. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Local rules can differ across the county line, so check where you stand. Where parking is tight, arriving early solves most problems. The nearest alternative is Carl Lake, 0.2 miles out. None of that is settled for Shirley Lake in what we hold.