Bill Lake Fishing Guide, Yakima County, Washington

• Overview

  Out in Yakima County, Washington, sits Bill Lake. It sits in lake country bush country. About 2 acres of surface, which puts the far bank inside easy sight. Most waters listed here for Yakima County are larger. Tieton is the closest place, 30 miles off. Kent sits 61 miles out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. There is no boundary nearby to worry about.

• Where to Fish on Bill Lake

  Nothing in our records gives a depth for this one. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Reported across Yakima County: rainbow trout, pumpkinseed, mountain whitefish, cutthroat trout and largemouth bass. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. At Bill Lake the first feature you find is worth twenty minutes.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-term averages put August at about 55°F and January near 25°F. The year splits cleanly: hard water, then open water. Look for the thaw near late April; the fishing lifts straight after. The water is typically free of ice between late April and late November. The open run goes from the thaw to the freeze, and April through October covers most of it. It sets the rhythm of the year at Bill Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  We hold no note on access for this one. Mapping shows an empty shoreline: no ramp, no jetty, no marked entry. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Season dates differ by species, so read the table. Check whether bait restrictions apply before you buy any. Henry Lake, 0.2 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. None of that is settled for Bill Lake in what we hold.