Crawford Lake, Washington: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Crawford Lake sits within King County in Washington. It stands 5,174 feet above sea level. Small at around 16 acres: two anglers spread out cover most of it. Head to Tanner, 21 miles away, for anything you forgot. Beyond it, Riverbend at 22 miles and Wilderness Rim at 23 miles. Not far off: Chetwoot Lake 0.7 miles off, Azure Lake a shade over 0.9 miles, Azurite Lake 1.4 miles off, Angeline Lake a shade over 1.4 miles and Big Heart Lake 1.6 miles off. This one is safely inside the county line.

• Where to Fish on Crawford Lake

  Nothing in our records gives a depth for this one. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Open biodiversity records for King County list Chum salmon, Coho salmon and Chinook salmon. Some of the species recorded here are protected or tightly regulated, so check what may be targeted before you fish. Crawford Lake responds to conditions more than to tactics.

• Seasonal Patterns

  August runs about 55°F on average, December about 23°F. Hard water is a season in its own right here. Winter fishing happens on the ice here, with open water back around early May. The water is typically free of ice between early May and late November. Look to early summer and the first cool weeks of autumn. On Crawford Lake that shapes the whole year.

• Tackle & Baits

  Who may fish here is not settled in anything we hold. There is a campsite half a mile from the water. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Parking is often the real limit rather than the bank itself. Barbless rules turn up on managed water more often than not. The nearest alternative is Chetwoot Lake, 0.7 miles out. What applies at Crawford Lake may have changed since it was mapped.