Fishing at Fan Lake, Pierce County, Washington

• Overview

  Washington holds Fan Lake, in Pierce County. The bank is 5,436 feet above sea level. At 4 acres it is the sort of place you fish for an evening rather than a day. On size it sits at the modest end of our Pierce County list. Crocker is the closest town at 28 miles. The nearest city of size is Tacoma, 48 miles away. The nearest boundary is a fair way off.

• Where to Fish on Fan Lake

  Depth is unknown to us, and the shoreline is the better guide. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Reported across Pierce County: pink salmon, sockeye salmon, largemouth bass and Chum salmon. Some of the species recorded here are protected or tightly regulated, so check what may be targeted before you fish. On Fan Lake the quiet end is the one worth the extra effort.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Climate records put August near 53°F and January near 24°F. Fishing here follows the temperature more than the calendar. Look for the thaw near mid May; the fishing lifts straight after. Climate averages put the opening at about mid May and the closing near late November. The strong weeks are the first after break-up and the last before the freeze. On Fan Lake the same rules apply, with local timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether you may fish here is not something records settle. No built facilities appear in mapping around this water. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. A phone call first saves an afternoon. Barbless rules turn up on managed water more often than not. The nearest alternative is Bench Lake, 2.6 miles out. Where Fan Lake is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.