Fishing Baker Lake in Skagit County, Washington

• Overview

  Baker Lake is set in Skagit County, Washington. Salt water lies 38 miles off. Surface area runs to some 6.8 sq miles, so a boat and a plan are both worth having. With about 25 miles of shoreline, local advice saves a lot of walking. Among the waters listed for Skagit County, none is wider. You are 28 miles from Peaceful Valley. Beyond it, Cultus Lake at 28 miles and Ryder Lake at 28 miles. No county line comes close, which keeps the paperwork simple.

• Where to Fish on Baker Lake

  No depth figure has reached our records, which makes a plummet useful. Draw-down through summer strips the margins, so follow the water out. The arms fish better than the open middle whenever the water is up. Skagit County records list Coho salmon, Chum salmon, pink salmon, rainbow trout and Chinook salmon among the fish reported. Several of these carry legal protection or closed seasons; the rulebook comes before the rod. On Baker Lake a short move beats a long cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect August to average close to 61°F, with January the cold end at about 31°F. Mild ends to the year keep the season long. Cover comes and goes, so treat it with suspicion rather than trust. June to September is hot work, so the first and last hours are what count. That shapes the year on Baker Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  We have no record of the rules that apply on this bank. Mapping records no facilities at all near this water. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Look for a notice board at the entrance. Where the way in crosses private ground, ask first. Should this one be busy, Shuksan Lake is 4.1 miles off. Rules at Baker Lake are worth checking on the day.