Cooney Lake Fishing in Chelan County, Washington

• Overview

  Washington holds Cooney Lake, in Chelan County. It stands 7,283 feet above sea level. This is a pocket water of some 8 acres, and every part of it is reachable from the bank. It is high ground by Washington standards. The town to know is Granite Falls, 21 miles out. Manson lies 22 miles off, Brewster another 27 miles. The nearest boundary is well away, so one set of rules covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Cooney Lake

  The records we hold are silent on depth, so plan to find it yourself. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Open biodiversity records for Chelan County list cutthroat trout, rainbow trout, sockeye salmon, Chinook salmon and largemouth bass. At least one recorded species is protected in parts of its range; read the local rules before targeting anything. Cooney Lake gives up more to patience than to distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Typical August readings run about 52°F; by December the average is down near 17°F. Fishing here follows the temperature more than the calendar. Ice fishing carries the winter, and the water opens about mid May. Climate figures give an open season running mid May to early November. Spring is short and heavy here; autumn is longer and steadier. Cooney Lake runs to its own calendar within the local pattern.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public sources are silent on who controls the bank. A campsite is mapped about 90 yards away, which makes an early start easier. Toilets are half a mile away, which matters on a long session. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. A landowner's word beats anything printed elsewhere. Close seasons apply to some species and not others. Should this one be busy, Sunrise Lake is 1.2 miles off. For Cooney Lake in particular, ask before you travel.