Fishing Berry Lakes in Kitsap County, Washington

• Overview

  Washington holds Berry Lakes, in Kitsap County. The country round it is open plain from end to end. Surface area runs to about 3 acres — small enough to read in one session. It is a small entry by Kitsap County standards. Start from Bethel, 1.6 miles down the road. It is 17 miles to Seattle, the nearest city. One jurisdiction covers this water end to end.

• Where to Fish on Berry Lakes

  There is no published depth for this one, so start shallow and work out. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Fish documented in Kitsap County include Chum salmon, Coho salmon, cutthroat trout, largemouth bass and Chinook salmon. Several of these carry legal protection or closed seasons; the rulebook comes before the rod. On Berry Lakes the obvious spot is not always the productive one.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Between December at about 40°F and August at about 64°F, the water has a wide range to work through. Cooler months are the productive ones on most of this water. Shade and hour of day matter more than month. February into May fishes hardest as the water warms. On Berry Lakes that shapes the whole year.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access status is simply unknown for this water. You can leave the car about half a mile from the water. Somewhere to sit and eat is half a mile out. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Parking is often the real limit rather than the bank itself. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. Should this one be busy, North Lake is 1.7 miles off. Rules at Berry Lakes are worth checking on the day.