Bennett Lake Fishing near Bridgeport, Washington

• Overview

  Bennett Lake is one of the Douglas County waters in Washington. It sits in open dry country. Surface area runs to about 4 acres — small enough to read in one session. Most waters listed here for Douglas County are larger. Nearest place of any size is Bridgeport, 21 miles away. The big place round here is Spokane, 93 miles distant. No boundary runs near, so the county rules hold throughout.

• Where to Fish on Bennett Lake

  We hold no survey for this water; read the slope of the shoreline instead. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Survey and observation records for Douglas County include largemouth bass, sockeye salmon, black crappie and bluegill. Some of the species recorded here are protected or tightly regulated, so check what may be targeted before you fish. On Bennett Lake the quiet end is the one worth the extra effort.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The seasonal spread runs 24°F to 70°F. Winter shuts things down for a spell, then spring reopens them fast. Ice fishing carries the winter, and the water opens about mid March. On the long-run averages the water opens up around mid March and starts locking again about early December. From the thaw to midsummer the fishing improves week by week. Bennett Lake fishes to that pattern most years.

• Tackle & Baits

  Our records carry no access rule either way. Public mapping marks it as seasonal water rather than permanent. No made access appears within a short radius, so plan to park on a verge and walk. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. State or provincial rules still apply whatever the bank status. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. Stallard Lake sits 2.5 miles off and takes the overflow. Nothing here settles the position at Bennett Lake for certain.