Freds Lake in Whatcom County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Freds Lake belongs to Whatcom County, Washington. The bank gives way to mixed forest. It covers about 5 acres, so this is small water you can walk round in under an hour. By elevation it is in the upper part of our Washington listings. Some 43 miles away sits Keremeos, the nearest settlement. For a city, Chilliwack is 66 miles off. It sits well inside the county, so one set of rules covers it.

• Where to Fish on Freds Lake

  No depth figure appears in our records, so the bank has to tell you. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Records held for Whatcom County cover sockeye salmon, Coho salmon and white sturgeon. At least one recorded species is protected in parts of its range; read the local rules before targeting anything. On Freds Lake that means starting tight and working out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  August runs about 53°F on average, December about 17°F. Winter closes the water for a while, and the reopening is worth catching. Firm cover through the cold months, then open water from mid May. The lid tends to go about mid May and return around early November. Fish feed hardest at the start and the close of the open season. On Freds Lake the same rules apply, with local timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  Who may fish here is not settled in anything we hold. There is no mapped parking or launch nearby, which keeps numbers down. Light line and small metal for the trout; a fly rod earns its place on calm evenings. Look for a notice board at the entrance. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. Dorchester Creek at 0.3 miles is the sensible second choice. What applies at Freds Lake may have changed since it was mapped.