Coffin Lake in Stevens County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  In Washington, Coffin Lake falls inside Stevens County. It lies 3,110 feet above sea level. It covers about 21 acres, so this is small water you can walk round in under an hour. Colville at 16 miles is the nearest place to stop. Then Chewelah, 22 miles, and Kettle Falls, 23 miles. Nearby, in order: 2.7 miles away is Gillette Lake Thomas within 3.4 miles, 4.2 miles away is Little Twin Lakes, Lake Heritage within 4.3 miles and 5.6 miles away is Lake Leo. No border sits close enough to matter.

• Where to Fish on Coffin Lake

  We hold no depth figure for this one. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. Public occurrence data for Stevens County names brook trout, rainbow trout, brown trout, yellow perch and largemouth bass. The list covers the county rather than this water alone, so treat it as a guide. Coffin Lake gives up its fish to patience rather than distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The seasonal spread runs 22°F to 61°F. Cold locks it up for a good stretch each year. Count the season from break-up, usually early April. Climate averages put the opening at about early April and the closing near late November. Reckon on open water from spring through to late autumn, with May and June the strongest. Plan around that when you fish Coffin Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing on record says whether the bank is open or closed. Part of this sits inside or beside Little Pend Oreille River Natural Area Preserve, so read the notices. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Parking is often the real limit rather than the bank itself. Where tickets apply, they are sold in the nearest town rather than on the bank. Gillette Lake sits 2.7 miles off and takes the overflow. For Coffin Lake, the notice at the access point is the final word.