Fishing at Cliff Lake, Pierce County, Washington

• Overview

  You will find Cliff Lake in Pierce County, Washington. Height above sea level is 5,292 feet. Surface area runs to about 3 acres — small enough to read in one session. It is one of the smaller waters we list in Pierce County. You are 26 miles from Eatonville. The nearest city of size is Tacoma, 47 miles away. This one is safely inside the county line.

• Where to Fish on Cliff Lake

  Depth is unmeasured here, so let the shoreline guide you. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Across Pierce County, recorded fish include pink salmon, sockeye salmon and largemouth bass. Some of the species recorded here are protected or tightly regulated, so check what may be targeted before you fish. Anyone new to Cliff Lake should walk it once before setting up.

• Seasonal Patterns

  In an average year August sits at 53°F and January at 24°F. Winter shuts things down for a spell, then spring reopens them fast. Once it clears, about mid May, the fishing comes on quickly. Averages suggest open water from about mid May through to roughly late November. Spring is short and heavy here; autumn is longer and steadier. Anyone fishing Cliff Lake regularly works to that calendar.

• Tackle & Baits

  Ownership and access are not documented in what we hold. Nothing built is recorded close to the bank here. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. A phone call first saves an afternoon. Night access is frequently treated as a separate matter. Reflection Lakes, 1.4 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. Confirm before you fish Cliff Lake.