Elbow Lake in Stevens County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Elbow Lake is one of the Stevens County waters in Washington. The setting is pine and birch. Roughly 37 acres: a morning covers one end, an afternoon the other. For supplies, Kettle Falls is 16 miles out. The big place round here is Spokane, 70 miles distant. Within easy reach: Sugar Lake some 1.7 miles off, Lake Ellen about 3.7 miles, Nicholas Lake some 3.7 miles off, Simpson Lake about 6 miles and Mud Lake some 6 miles off. It sits well inside the county, so one set of rules covers it.

• Where to Fish on Elbow Lake

  Depth is unknown to us, and the shoreline is the better guide. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Open biodiversity records for Stevens County list brook trout, rainbow trout and brown trout. Records at county level tell you what is around, not what is stocked here. On Elbow Lake the quiet end is the one worth the extra effort.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Climate records put August near 65°F and January near 24°F. The season turns properly here, and fish follow it closely. Winter fishing happens on the ice here, with open water back around mid March. Ice usually gives way near mid March, and forms again about early December. June through September is the settled part of the year, with the shoulders busier for fish. Plan around that when you fish Elbow Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  There is no clear statement anywhere on who can fish it. We find no slipway, car park or made path within a short radius, so treat access as rough. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Check locally before you travel, because a wasted drive is a long one. Where the way in crosses private ground, ask first. The nearest alternative is Sugar Lake, 1.7 miles out. Nothing here settles the position at Elbow Lake for certain.