Clark Lake, Washington: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Clark Lake sits within King County in Washington. It sits at 430 feet above sea level. About 12 acres of surface, which puts the far bank inside easy sight. East Hill-Meridian at 1.9 miles is the nearest place to stop. It is 3.1 miles to Kent, the nearest city. Close by you also have: Lake Meridian about 1.7 miles, Panther Lake just 2.7 miles, Lake Youngs about 3.5 miles, Shadow Lake just 4.4 miles and Shady Lake about 4.5 miles. It lies deep inside the county rather than near an edge.

• Where to Fish on Clark Lake

  No chart reached our records; the first cast is your sounding. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Reported across King County: Chum salmon, Coho salmon, Chinook salmon and sockeye salmon. Protected fish appear in the records for this area, so treat the list as information, not an invitation. On Clark Lake that means starting tight and working out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-term averages put August at about 66°F and December near 39°F. Heat sets the pattern from late spring onward. Late winter and spring fish steadiest here. June to September is hot work, so the first and last hours are what count. It holds true on Clark Lake more years than not.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether the bank is open is not something our records settle. There is somewhere to leave the car, half a mile off. There is a pier recorded roughly 120 yards away. There is a toilet block some half a mile out. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Where access is informal, keep it that way by behaving. Keep proof of licence with you rather than in the car. Lake Meridian, 1.7 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. None of that is settled for Clark Lake in what we hold.