Fishing at Corral Lake, Okanogan County, Washington

• Overview

  Corral Lake sits within Okanogan County in Washington. Beyond the shoreline you have pine and birch. It covers about 12 acres, so this is small water you can walk round in under an hour. By elevation it is in the upper part of our Washington listings. Some 31 miles away sits Keremeos, the nearest settlement. Cawston is 33 miles away, with Princeton at 38 miles. Rules here are straightforward: one county, one set of rules.

• Where to Fish on Corral Lake

  No published figure covers depth, so learn it as you fish. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Reported across Okanogan County: rainbow trout, largemouth bass, sockeye salmon and yellow perch. At least one recorded species is protected in parts of its range; read the local rules before targeting anything. On Corral Lake the first feature you find is usually worth a session.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages here run 52°F at the top of summer and 16°F at the bottom of winter. Winter closes the water for a while, and the reopening is worth catching. Break-up comes around mid May, and the run that follows is short and strong. Ice clears near mid May and comes back about early November in a typical year. May into June fishes hardest, and September gives a second good stretch before the lid returns. That is the shape of the year on Corral Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing we hold confirms whether access is permitted. Nothing is mapped in the way of a ramp or car park within a short radius. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Bank access can be seasonal on ground like this. Rules for boats are stricter than rules for the bank in many places. Crow Lake sits 0.7 miles off and takes the overflow. Nothing here settles the position at Corral Lake for certain.