Chain Lakes in Yakima County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Chain Lakes sits within Yakima County in Washington. Elevation runs to 4,711 feet. Surface area runs to about 3 acres — small enough to read in one session. On size it sits at the modest end of our Yakima County list. The nearest place of any size is Tieton, 33 miles away. Kent sits 58 miles out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. It sits well inside the county, so one set of rules covers it.

• Where to Fish on Chain Lakes

  No depth figure appears in our records, so the bank has to tell you. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Yakima County records list rainbow trout, pumpkinseed and mountain whitefish among the fish reported. It is the county picture; the agency list is water-specific. Chain Lakes fishes better once you know its edges.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Seasonal averages run from 28°F in January up to 57°F in August. The season stretches long at both ends here. Some winters give nothing at all, so plan for open water. The cooler months are the comfortable ones to fish here. Plan any trip to Chain Lakes around it. Autumn feeding runs harder as the light drops away.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether the bank is open is not something our records settle. The map shows no ramp or car park nearby, so this is a walk-in water. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. A phone call first saves an afternoon. Night access is frequently treated as a separate matter. Jug Lake, 0.6 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. What applies at Chain Lakes may have changed since it was mapped.