Short Lake in Marion County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Out in Marion County, Oregon, sits Short Lake. It sits at 3,205 feet above sea level. It is pond-in-a-field scale, with the far bank a short lob away. Our Marion County list holds plenty of bigger water. Nearest town is Mill City, 24 miles off. It is 52 miles to Salem, the nearest city. No boundary runs near, so the county rules hold throughout.

• Where to Fish on Short Lake

  No depth figure has reached our records, which makes a plummet useful. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Records held for Marion County cover bluegill, largemouth bass, largescale sucker and rainbow trout. The county figures include rivers and lakes alike. Anyone new to Short Lake should walk it once before setting up.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Climate records put August near 60°F and January near 32°F. Mild ends to the year keep the season long. In a normal year the cover is thin and short-lived. April and May are the settled weeks, with October close behind. It sets the rhythm of the year at Short Lake. Settled weather over several days beats a single fine one.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public data does not answer the access question here. No made access appears within a short radius, so plan to park on a verge and walk. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Take the rules with you rather than trusting memory. Where tickets apply, they are sold in the nearest town rather than on the bank. Leone Lake, 3.1 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. The position on Short Lake is worth confirming on the day.