Fishing Stewart Lake in Benton County, Oregon

• Overview

  Stewart Lake is a Benton County water, Oregon side. It sits in dry hill country. It covers about 5 acres, so this is small water you can walk round in under an hour. Corvallis lies 1.8 miles from the water. The big place round here is Salem, 27 miles distant. Rules can differ a short way off, since the county line is near. The shoreline runs longer than it looks on a map.

• Where to Fish on Stewart Lake

  Depth remains unrecorded, so treat the first session as a survey. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Survey and observation records for Benton County include largescale sucker, bluegill and cutthroat trout. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. Read Stewart Lake before you fish it and the day goes better.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Average temperature peaks around 66°F in August and bottoms out near 40°F in December. Winter here means light layers, not lost months. Heat pushes fish deep from June onwards, so start early. March through May is the strongest run, with October and November a second stretch. Stewart Lake runs to that rhythm year in and year out.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing in our records says who may fish here. Parking within half a mile means no long carry with tackle. Toilets are 0.9 miles away, which matters on a long session. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Check whether a boat is allowed before you tow one. Some ground is open by custom rather than by right, so tread carefully. If the gate is shut, Colorado Lake at 1.4 miles is the nearest alternative. For Stewart Lake, the notice at the access point is the final word.