Fishing at Upper Berley Lake, Linn County, Oregon

• Overview

  In Oregon, Upper Berley Lake belongs to Linn County. The surface lies 5,344 feet up. Surface area runs to about 6 acres — small enough to read in one session. The closest town, Sisters, is 20 miles distant. Salem sits 66 miles out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. It sits well inside the county, so one set of rules covers it.

• Where to Fish on Upper Berley Lake

  We hold no survey for this water; read the slope of the shoreline instead. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Open biodiversity records for Linn County list rainbow trout, cutthroat trout, bluegill, largescale sucker and largemouth bass. Some of the species recorded here are protected or tightly regulated, so check what may be targeted before you fish. Anyone new to Upper Berley Lake should walk it once before setting up.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The year swings from about 28°F in December to roughly 56°F in August. Mild ends to the year keep the season long. In a normal year the cover is thin and short-lived. February into May fishes hardest as the water warms. On Upper Berley Lake that shapes the whole year. Wind on the bank for a day or two lifts the fishing there.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access is not recorded for this water. Nothing in the way of made access shows up nearby: no ramp, no car park, no path. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Gates get locked out of season on water like this. Where parking is tight, arriving early solves most problems. Lower Berley Lake sits 0.3 miles off and takes the overflow. Check the position at Upper Berley Lake before loading the car.