Barclay Lake near Gold Bar: Fishing Spots, Seasons and Access

• Overview

  Set in King County, Barclay Lake is a Washington water. This is open valley ground. Surface area runs to about 18 acres — small enough to read in one session. Start from Gold Bar, 13 miles down the road. For a city, Bellevue is 38 miles off. Nearby alternatives: Eagle Lake a touch under 1 mile, Grotto Lake some 1.9 miles off, Lake Simms a touch under 2 miles, Fourth of July Lake some 2.2 miles off and Gunn Lake a touch under 2.5 miles. Local rules may differ a few miles either side of here.

• Where to Fish on Barclay Lake

  Our records carry no depth, so judge it from the bank. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. County-wide records name Chum salmon, Coho salmon, Chinook salmon and sockeye salmon. Some of the species recorded here are protected or tightly regulated, so check what may be targeted before you fish. Read Barclay Lake before you fish it and the day goes better.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect August near 60°F and December near 30°F on the long-run figures. Seasons here are moderate, and the fishing runs most of the year. Cover comes and goes, so treat it with suspicion rather than trust. Spring and autumn carry the year; summer squeezes it into the ends of the day. Anyone fishing Barclay Lake regularly works to that calendar.

• Tackle & Baits

  We hold no note on access for this one. Mapping shows a campsite some 140 yards from the water. A toilet block sits half a mile away. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. Gates get locked out of season on water like this. Some ground is open by custom rather than by right, so tread carefully. For a change of water, Eagle Lake is 1 mile distant. What applies at Barclay Lake may have changed since it was mapped.