Cottonwood Lake Fishing Guide, King County, Washington

• Overview

  You will find Cottonwood Lake in King County, Washington. It sits in rolling hill country. The water measures roughly 8 acres, so nothing here is far from anything else. Riverbend sits 17 miles from here and is the nearest stop. Kent sits 38 miles out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. The line between counties passes nearby, which can change who manages the water.

• Where to Fish on Cottonwood Lake

  Depth figures are not published for this one. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. King County records list Chum salmon, Coho salmon and Chinook salmon among the fish reported. Protected fish appear in the records for this area, so treat the list as information, not an invitation. Cottonwood Lake gives up more to patience than to distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The range across the year is 27°F to 58°F. The swings are modest, so patterns change slowly. Cover comes and goes, so treat it with suspicion rather than trust. February into May fishes hardest as the water warms. Cottonwood Lake fishes to that pattern most years. Barometer swings matter more than a degree or two.

• Tackle & Baits

  We have no record of the rules that apply on this bank. The nearest mapped parking is half a mile away, so the last stretch is on foot. You can camp 0.9 miles off, which suits an early start. Light line and small metal for the trout; a fly rod earns its place on calm evenings. Check locally before you travel, because a wasted drive is a long one. Rules for boats are stricter than rules for the bank in many places. For a change of water, Mirror Lake is 0.4 miles distant. The position on Cottonwood Lake is worth confirming on the day.