Fishing Buck Lake in Mason County, Washington

• Overview

  Mason County, Washington, is where Buck Lake sits. The bank is 5,016 feet above sea level. It covers about 3 acres, so this is small water you can walk round in under an hour. Our Mason County list holds plenty of bigger water. Some 24 miles away sits Seabeck, the nearest settlement. Then Belfair, 28 miles, and Bangor Trident Base, 30 miles. It sits well inside the county, so one set of rules covers it.

• Where to Fish on Buck Lake

  The records we hold are silent on depth, so plan to find it yourself. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. County-wide records name Chum salmon, cutthroat trout, Coho salmon and largemouth bass. Several of these carry legal protection or closed seasons; the rulebook comes before the rod. Anyone new to Buck Lake should walk it once before setting up.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The year swings from about 29°F in December to roughly 53°F in August. A long season, with weather mattering more than the month. Hard water here is never dependable, so check for yourself before stepping out. Spring and autumn carry the year; summer squeezes it into the ends of the day. The season on Buck Lake rarely departs from it.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public sources are silent on who controls the bank. No made access is recorded, so a short walk in is the likely arrangement. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Where access is informal, keep it that way by behaving. Rules for boats are stricter than rules for the bank in many places. For a change of water, Lake LaCrosse is 0.7 miles distant. None of that is settled for Buck Lake in what we hold.