Fishing Frater Lake in Pend Oreille County, Washington

• Overview

  Frater Lake lies in Pend Oreille County, in Washington. The ground around here is lake country bush. At 13 acres it is the sort of place you fish for an evening rather than a day. Our Pend Oreille County list holds plenty of bigger water. Nearest town is Colville, 21 miles off. Spokane is the closest city, 69 miles away. No county line comes close, which keeps the paperwork simple.

• Where to Fish on Frater Lake

  Depth went unrecorded, which puts the reading back on you. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Fish documented in Pend Oreille County include rainbow trout, tench, cutthroat trout, pumpkinseed and brook trout. Take it as the county picture rather than a promise for this water. The near bank of Frater Lake is often the one people ignore.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-run averages give August about 61°F and January about 23°F. A solid cap is the normal state through winter. Ice-out usually falls in early April, and the weeks after it fish hardest. On the long-run averages the water opens up around early April and starts locking again about late November. May into June fishes hardest, and September gives a second good stretch before the lid returns. Plan any trip to Frater Lake around it.

• Tackle & Baits

  The paperwork position is blank for this one. You can leave the car about half a mile from the water. A campsite is mapped about half a mile away, which makes an early start easier. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Rules differ from one water to the next round here. Night access is frequently treated as a separate matter. The nearest alternative is Nile Lake, 0.6 miles out. Check the position on Frater Lake before loading the car.