Fool Hen Lake Fishing Guide, Okanogan County, Washington

• Overview

  Out in Okanogan County, Washington, sits Fool Hen Lake. This is mixed forest country. Surface area runs to about 2 acres — small enough to read in one session. It is one of the smaller waters we list in Okanogan County. Keremeos sits 32 miles from here and is the nearest stop. Cawston lies 34 miles off, Oroville another 40 miles. It lies deep inside the county rather than near an edge.

• Where to Fish on Fool Hen Lake

  Without a survey to go on, judge depth from how the bank falls away. 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. Reported across Okanogan County: rainbow trout, largemouth bass, sockeye salmon, yellow perch and smallmouth bass. Some of the species recorded here are protected or tightly regulated, so check what may be targeted before you fish. At Fool Hen Lake the water rewards a slow, careful approach.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Average temperature peaks around 52°F in August and bottoms out near 16°F in December. The middle months are generous; the ends are demanding. Count the season from break-up, usually mid May. The season between ice runs from about mid May to early November. Fish feed hardest at the start and the close of the open season. It sets the rhythm of the year at Fool Hen Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Who may fish here is not settled in anything we hold. The map shows no ramp or car park nearby, so this is a walk-in water. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. State or provincial rules still apply whatever the bank status. Some ground is open by custom rather than by right, so tread carefully. Upper Fox Lake sits 1.1 miles off and takes the overflow. Confirm before you fish Fool Hen Lake.