Stephenson Lake in Jefferson County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  You will find Stephenson Lake in Jefferson County, Oregon. Height above sea level is 4,419 feet. It covers about 6 acres, so this is small water you can walk round in under an hour. Prineville sits 26 miles from the bank. Then Madras, 32 miles, and Culver, 36 miles. It lies deep inside the county rather than near an edge. Trees shelter part of the bank when the wind gets up.

• Where to Fish on Stephenson Lake

  We hold no survey for this water; read the slope of the shoreline instead. The old creek line under the surface is the feature worth finding. Inflow corners move water, and moving water gathers fish. Reported across Jefferson County: rainbow trout, bull trout, smallmouth bass, sockeye salmon and largemouth bass. Several of these carry legal protection or closed seasons; the rulebook comes before the rod. At Stephenson Lake the water rewards a slow, careful approach.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Typical August readings run about 59°F; by December the average is down near 29°F. Ice comes and goes from one year to the next. Some winters give nothing at all, so plan for open water. April and May are the settled weeks, with October close behind. It holds true on Stephenson Lake more years than not.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access is not recorded for this water. Nothing built is recorded close to the bank here. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Check locally before you travel, because a wasted drive is a long one. Signs go up and come down, so check on the day. For a change of water, Marks Lake is 7.6 miles distant. Ask locally about Stephenson Lake if anything is unclear.