Fishing Circle Lake in King County, Washington

• Overview

  The King County entry here is Circle Lake, in Washington. It sits at 6,030 feet above sea level. Roughly 44 acres: a morning covers one end, an afternoon the other. The bank runs about 1.1 miles all the way round, so one visit can cover most of it. It is high ground by Washington standards. Start from Leavenworth, 24 miles down the road. Beyond it, Cle Elum at 27 miles and Tanner at 28 miles. One jurisdiction covers this water end to end.

• Where to Fish on Circle Lake

  There is no published depth for this one, so start shallow and work out. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. King County records list Chum salmon, Coho salmon, Chinook salmon, sockeye salmon and yellow perch among the fish reported. Protected fish appear in the records for this area, so treat the list as information, not an invitation. Treat Circle Lake as a water to read rather than to cover.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-term averages put August at about 56°F and December near 22°F. The year splits cleanly: hard water, then open water. The open season starts with the thaw, near enough late April. On average, late April opens the water and late November closes it again. May into June fishes hardest, and September gives a second good stretch before the lid returns. Circle Lake fishes to that pattern most years.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing in our records says who may fish here. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. We find no slipway, car park or made path within a short radius, so treat access as rough. Light line and small metal for the trout; a fly rod earns its place on calm evenings. Check locally before you travel, because a wasted drive is a long one. Where parking is tight, arriving early solves most problems. Should this one be busy, Venus Lake is 0.7 miles off. For Circle Lake in particular, ask before you travel.