Fishing at Upper Erma Bell Lake, Lane County, Oregon

• Overview

  You will find Upper Erma Bell Lake in Lane County, Oregon. The surface lies 4,688 feet up. The water measures roughly 14 acres, so nothing here is far from anything else. For supplies, Oakridge is 22 miles out. The nearest city of size is Eugene, 54 miles away. No boundary runs near, so the county rules hold throughout. Our records list it as fresh water.

• Where to Fish on Upper Erma Bell Lake

  No chart reached our records; the first cast is your sounding. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Records held for Lane County cover rainbow trout, cutthroat trout and largescale sucker. At least one recorded species is protected in parts of its range; read the local rules before targeting anything. At Upper Erma Bell Lake the water rewards a slow, careful approach.

• Seasonal Patterns

  August runs about 57°F on average, December about 29°F. Ice comes and goes from one year to the next. In milder years the edges alone go, and the middle never sets. February into May fishes hardest as the water warms. Plan any trip to Upper Erma Bell Lake around it. The first warm week of the year changes everything here.

• Tackle & Baits

  No access rule appears in what we hold. Access points are not mapped for this water, which suits people who like quiet. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Where a permit is needed, the nearest town usually sells it. Where parking is tight, arriving early solves most problems. The nearest alternative is Middle Erma Bell Lake, 0.6 miles out. Rules at Upper Erma Bell Lake are worth checking on the day.