Upper Lake in Marion County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Marion County in Oregon is where Upper Lake sits. The bank is 5,387 feet above sea level. The water measures roughly 14 acres, so nothing here is far from anything else. Nearest place of any size is Warm Springs, 27 miles away. Mill City is 33 miles away, with Culver at 35 miles. Not far off: Cigar Lake 0.4 miles away, Eloise Lake out at 0.5 miles, Top Lake 0.6 miles away, Ring Lake out at 0.7 miles and Timber Lake 0.7 miles away. This one is safely inside the county line.

• Where to Fish on Upper Lake

  No depth figure appears in our records, so the bank has to tell you. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Survey and observation records for Marion County include bluegill, largemouth bass, largescale sucker and rainbow trout. Species recorded across the county may be limited to a few waters. The shape of Upper Lake rewards a slow walk along one bank.

• Seasonal Patterns

  In an average year August sits at 55°F and January at 28°F. Ice comes and goes from one year to the next. It is not guaranteed from one year to the next. Late winter often fishes better here than midsummer does. On Upper Lake that shapes the whole year. Spring fish sit shallower than most people expect.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing on record says whether the bank is open or closed. Nothing is mapped in the way of a ramp or car park within a short radius. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Parking space is the usual limit rather than the bank itself. Where parking is tight, arriving early solves most problems. Failing this one, try Cigar Lake, 0.4 miles away. The position on Upper Lake is worth confirming on the day.