Sproul Reservoir Fishing Guide, Grant County, Oregon

• Overview

  Sproul Reservoir belongs to Grant County, Oregon. Elevation runs to 4,862 feet. It runs to roughly 35 acres — big enough to hold fish away from the bank, small enough to learn. Size puts it in the front rank of our Grant County list. Nearest place of any size is John Day, 17 miles away. Burns is 44 miles away, with Hines at 46 miles. It lies deep inside the county rather than near an edge.

• Where to Fish on Sproul Reservoir

  Without a survey to go on, judge depth from how the bank falls away. Built water gives depth close in, which suits a bank angler. Draw-down through summer strips the margins, so follow the water out. Public occurrence data for Grant County names rainbow trout, bridgelip sucker, largescale sucker, smallmouth bass and cutthroat trout. County records show the wider picture rather than this one place. Fish Sproul Reservoir to its features, not to its size.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Between January at about 25°F and August at about 58°F, the water has a wide range to work through. Some winters cap it and some do not. In a normal year the cover is thin and short-lived. March through May is the strongest run, with October and November a second stretch. At Sproul Reservoir the season follows that pattern closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  Who may fish here is not settled in anything we hold. We find no slipway, car park or made path within a short radius, so treat access as rough. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Parking space is the usual limit rather than the bank itself. Signs go up and come down, so check on the day. Carpenter Pond, 16 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. Check the position at Sproul Reservoir before loading the car.