Heart Lake in Skagit County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Heart Lake lies in Skagit County, in Washington. Elevation runs to 358 feet. The water covers some 60 acres, so pick a bank rather than trying to cover it all. There is roughly 1.2 miles of shoreline here, which is a short walk end to end. For supplies, Anacortes is 2.7 miles out. Victoria is the closest city, 33 miles away. You are close to a county edge here; who manages the access can change within a short drive.

• Where to Fish on Heart Lake

  Depth is unknown to us, and the shoreline is the better guide. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Open biodiversity records for Skagit County list Coho salmon, Chum salmon, pink salmon and rainbow trout. Some of the species recorded here are protected or tightly regulated, so check what may be targeted before you fish. Read Heart Lake before you fish it and the day goes better.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-run averages give August about 61°F and January about 40°F. The swings are modest, so patterns change slowly. In milder years the edges alone go, and the middle never sets. April and May are the settled weeks, with October close behind. The season on Heart Lake rarely departs from it.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing on record says whether the bank is open or closed. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. Public data records a boat ramp 130 yards out. There is a car park 170 yards from the bank. There are toilets mapped about half a mile away. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Gates get locked out of season on water like this. Check whether bait restrictions apply before you buy any. Should this one be busy, Whistle Lake is 1.5 miles off. Rules at Heart Lake are worth checking on the day.