Echo Lake, Washington: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Echo Lake is a Yakima County water, in Washington. It stands 3,839 feet above sea level. It runs to roughly 56 acres — big enough to hold fish away from the bank, small enough to learn. The edge runs 1.2 miles or so, easy to work in an afternoon. Size puts it in the front rank of our Yakima County list. The town to know is Cle Elum, 25 miles out. For a city, Kent is 45 miles off. The line between counties passes nearby, which can change who manages the water.

• Where to Fish on Echo Lake

  Depth went unrecorded, which puts the reading back on you. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Survey and observation records for Yakima County include rainbow trout, pumpkinseed, mountain whitefish and cutthroat trout. The county list is broader than any single water. Echo Lake fishes better once you know its edges.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warm month here averages 56°F; the cold one sits at 26°F. Seasons here are moderate, and the fishing runs most of the year. In a normal year the cover is thin and short-lived. Autumn steadies things again once the heat lets go. The season on Echo Lake follows the weather closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  The rules here are undocumented as far as public sources go. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. The map shows no ramp or car park nearby, so this is a walk-in water. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. A landowner's word beats anything printed elsewhere. Where the way in crosses private ground, ask first. Should this one be busy, Lost Lake is 1.7 miles off. Check the position on Echo Lake before loading the car.