Upper Island Lake in Klamath County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Oregon holds Upper Island Lake, in Klamath County. The bank gives way to rolling hill. It covers about 6 acres, so this is small water you can walk round in under an hour. By elevation it is in the upper part of our Oregon listings. Oakridge at 20 miles is the nearest place to stop. La Pine lies 29 miles off, Three Rivers another 33 miles. It sits well inside the county, so one set of rules covers it.

• Where to Fish on Upper Island Lake

  Depth remains unrecorded, so treat the first session as a survey. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Records held for Klamath County cover rainbow trout, klamath largescale sucker, brook trout and yellow perch. Several of these carry legal protection or closed seasons; the rulebook comes before the rod. Upper Island Lake responds to conditions more than to tactics.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Average temperature peaks around 57°F in August and bottoms out near 30°F in December. Neither winter nor summer shuts things down for long. It should never be assumed safe, whatever the month says. June to September is hot work, so the first and last hours are what count. Expect Upper Island Lake to follow that timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  No public source sets out the position on this bank. There is no mapped parking or launch nearby, which keeps numbers down. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Where access is informal, keep it that way by behaving. A polite question at the farm gate opens more banks than anything else. Should this one be busy, Lower Island Lake is 0.2 miles off. Ask locally about Upper Island Lake if anything is unclear.