Heart Lake Fishing Guide, Yakima County, Washington

• Overview

  Set in Yakima County, Washington, this is Heart Lake. Elevation runs to 5,400 feet. Small even by pond standards, it rewards one careful line. It is a small entry by Yakima County standards. Start from White Salmon, 30 miles down the road. Gresham is the closest city, 66 miles away. It sits well inside its county, with no border complications.

• Where to Fish on Heart Lake

  We hold no survey for this water; read the slope of the shoreline instead. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Public occurrence data for Yakima County names rainbow trout, pumpkinseed, mountain whitefish and cutthroat trout. Take it as the county picture rather than a promise for this water. Heart Lake gives up more to patience than to distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  August runs about 56°F on average, January about 26°F. The calendar is generous: something works in nearly every month. In milder years the edges alone go, and the middle never sets. November and March are the quiet, comfortable months to be out. That shapes the year on Heart Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public data does not answer the access question here. Mapping is blank for access, so scout the approach before committing the car. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Some banks are open only from a marked point. Where parking is tight, arriving early solves most problems. Should this one be busy, Bluff Lake is 1.1 miles off. Check the current arrangement for Heart Lake.