Fishing at Smith Reservoir, Klamath County, Oregon

• Overview

  Smith Reservoir sits within Klamath County in Oregon. Everything around it is open valley. Surface area is around 104 acres, which gives you real water without needing a boat. The edge runs 1.8 miles or so, easy to work in an afternoon. It ranks high for size among our Klamath County listings. Altamont sits 22 miles from the bank. Klamath Falls is 24 miles and Lakeview 51 miles. It sits well inside its county, with no border complications.

• Where to Fish on Smith Reservoir

  Depth figures are not published for this one. Levels move with the draw rather than the rain on water like this. Look for where the old bank line still shows under the surface. Open biodiversity records for Klamath County list rainbow trout, klamath largescale sucker and brook trout. Some of the species recorded here are protected or tightly regulated, so check what may be targeted before you fish. The shape of Smith Reservoir rewards a slow walk along one bank.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Average temperature peaks around 65°F in August and bottoms out near 29°F in January. The calendar is generous: something works in nearly every month. In a normal year the cover is thin and short-lived. April and May are the settled weeks, with October close behind. Anyone fishing Smith Reservoir regularly works to that calendar.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether you may fish here is not something records settle. Public data shows nothing built here, so treat the whole approach as informal. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Check locally before you travel, because a wasted drive is a long one. A polite question at the farm gate opens more banks than anything else. Failing this one, try Harpold Reservoir, 0.8 miles away. Check the current arrangement for Smith Reservoir.