Fishing at Summit Lake, Clackamas County, Oregon

• Overview

  Summit Lake lies in Clackamas County, in Oregon. It lies 4,203 feet above sea level. This is a pocket water of some 9 acres, and every part of it is reachable from the bank. Mount Hood Village is the closest place, 24 miles off. For a city, Gresham is 45 miles off. Nearby, in order: Clackamas Lake lies 5 miles on, Timothy Lake at 6.2 miles, Buck Lake lies 6.8 miles on, Dinger Lake at 8.4 miles and Lake Harriet lies 9.1 miles on. It lies deep inside the county rather than near an edge.

• Where to Fish on Summit Lake

  Depth remains unrecorded, so treat the first session as a survey. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Species logged across Clackamas County include Coho salmon, rainbow trout and Chinook salmon. Some of the species recorded here are protected or tightly regulated, so check what may be targeted before you fish. At Summit Lake light and wind decide more than tackle does.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Climate normals give 58°F for August and 29°F for January. The season stretches long at both ends here. It is not guaranteed from one year to the next. Autumn steadies things again once the heat lets go. It sets the rhythm of the year at Summit Lake. Wind direction changes which bank is worth fishing.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access status is simply unknown for this water. Leave the car at Summit Lake, about half a mile from the bank. You can camp half a mile off, which suits an early start. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Rules for this water may differ from the county norm. Close seasons apply to some species and not others. For a change of water, Clackamas Lake is 5 miles distant. None of that is settled for Summit Lake in what we hold.