Fishing Kachess Lake in Kittitas County, Washington

• Overview

  Kachess Lake belongs to Kittitas County, Washington. Country round the bank runs to open valley. This is big water, about 6.9 sq miles, and in a wind it behaves like a small sea. The shoreline runs to about 23 miles, far more than one trip can cover. Size puts it in the front rank of our Kittitas County list. The nearest place of any size is Cle Elum, 16 miles away. Beyond it, Riverbend at 27 miles and Tanner at 27 miles. No border sits close enough to matter.

• Where to Fish on Kachess Lake

  Nothing in our records gives a depth for this one. Held water runs deepest at the wall and shallows back to the inflow. Levels move with the draw rather than the rain on water like this. Fish documented in Kittitas County include cutthroat trout, rainbow trout, Chinook salmon, sockeye salmon and largemouth bass. Some of the species recorded here are protected or tightly regulated, so check what may be targeted before you fish. At Kachess Lake the first feature you find is worth twenty minutes.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Average temperature peaks around 61°F in August and bottoms out near 27°F in January. Conditions shift steadily rather than sharply. In a normal year the cover is thin and short-lived. The hot months push the fishing to dawn and dusk. On Kachess Lake that shapes the whole year. Settled weather over several days beats a single fine one.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access is not recorded for this water. You can camp half a mile off, which suits an early start. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Check whether a boat is allowed before you tow one. Keep proof of licence with you rather than in the car. Failing this one, try Thorp Lake, 3.7 miles away. Treat access at Kachess Lake as something to verify.