Gifford Lakes in King County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Gifford Lakes belongs to King County, Washington. The bank is 3,173 feet above sea level. About 14 acres of surface, which puts the far bank inside easy sight. For a base, Tanner sits 7 miles out. Riverbend follows at 7.2 miles, then Wilderness Rim at 8.3 miles. The nearest boundary is well away, so one set of rules covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Gifford Lakes

  No depth figure appears in our records, so the bank has to tell you. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Reported across King County: Chum salmon, Coho salmon, Chinook salmon and sockeye salmon. Several of these carry legal protection or closed seasons; the rulebook comes before the rod. At Gifford Lakes the first feature you find is worth twenty minutes.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The range across the year is 32°F to 60°F. Mild ends to the year keep the season long. It is not guaranteed from one year to the next. The hot months push the fishing to dawn and dusk. At Gifford Lakes the season follows that pattern closely. Water colour tells you more than the air temperature does.

• Tackle & Baits

  Our records carry no access rule either way. We find no slipway, car park or made path within a short radius, so treat access as rough. Light line and small metal for the trout; a fly rod earns its place on calm evenings. Some banks are open only from a marked point. Keep proof of licence with you rather than in the car. Thompson Lake at 1.9 miles is the sensible second choice. Nothing here settles the position at Gifford Lakes for certain.