Howell Lake Fishing near Belfair, Washington

• Overview

  Howell Lake falls in Mason County, part of Washington. The sea is 2.8 miles distant. The water measures roughly 16 acres, so nothing here is far from anything else. The nearest town is Belfair, 7.8 miles away. The big place round here is Tacoma, 29 miles distant. This one is safely inside the county line. It holds up in poor weather better than open water does.

• Where to Fish on Howell Lake

  Depth is unknown to us, and the shoreline is the better guide. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Species logged across Mason County include Chum salmon, cutthroat trout and Coho salmon. Several of these carry legal protection or closed seasons; the rulebook comes before the rod. At Howell Lake the first feature you find is worth twenty minutes.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect August near 63°F and January near 39°F on the long-run figures. Long warm spells define the calendar more than any cold. March through May is the strongest run, with autumn a second stretch. Late winter often fishes better here than midsummer does. Howell Lake runs to that rhythm year in and year out.

• Tackle & Baits

  The paperwork position is blank for this one. Somewhere to sit and eat is 150 yards out. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Look for a notice board at the entrance. A polite question at the farm gate opens more banks than anything else. Should this one be busy, Collins Lake is 0.6 miles off. Treat Howell Lake as unsettled until someone local tells you otherwise.