Cockleburr Lake Fishing in Yakima County, Washington

• Overview

  Set in Yakima County, Washington, this is Cockleburr Lake. It lies 653 feet above sea level. Mabton lies 1.1 miles from the water. The nearest city of size is Tri-Cities, 39 miles away. Other water within reach: Round Lake roughly 0.4 miles, Horseshoe Lake the better part of 0.5 miles, Warren Lake roughly 0.6 miles, Slaughterhouse Lake the better part of 0.7 miles and Bridgeman Pond roughly 1.4 miles. You are close to a county edge here; who manages the access can change within a short drive.

• Where to Fish on Cockleburr Lake

  Nothing we hold settles how deep this runs. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Public occurrence data for Yakima County names rainbow trout, pumpkinseed, mountain whitefish and cutthroat trout. Read it as a county summary, not a water-by-water list. Cockleburr Lake gives up its fish to patience rather than distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  In an average year July sits at 72°F and December at 32°F. Ice comes and goes from one year to the next. Cover comes and goes, so treat it with suspicion rather than trust. February into May fishes hardest as the water warms. That is the shape of the year on Cockleburr Lake. After heavy rain, give the water a day to settle.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access is not recorded for this water. Public mapping records no formal access here, so plan for a walk and soft ground. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Where the road in crosses private land, ask first. Some ground is open by custom rather than by right, so tread carefully. The nearest alternative is Round Lake, 0.4 miles out. Where Cockleburr Lake is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.