Kendall Peak Lakes, Washington: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  The Kittitas County entry here is Kendall Peak Lakes, in Washington. The surface lies 4,518 feet up. This is a pocket water of some 4 acres, and every part of it is reachable from the bank. Some 17 miles away sits Tanner, the nearest settlement. Renton sits 39 miles out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. You are close to a county edge here; who manages the access can change within a short drive.

• Where to Fish on Kendall Peak Lakes

  There is no published depth for this one, so start shallow and work out. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Kittitas County records list cutthroat trout, rainbow trout, Chinook salmon and sockeye salmon among the fish reported. Several of these carry legal protection or closed seasons; the rulebook comes before the rod. At Kendall Peak Lakes the first feature you find is worth twenty minutes.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Typical August readings run about 58°F; by December the average is down near 26°F. A lid forms in a hard winter only. In milder years the edges alone go, and the middle never sets. The hot months push the fishing to dawn and dusk. Plan around that when you fish Kendall Peak Lakes.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access is not recorded for this water. Nothing built is recorded close to the bank here. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Season dates differ by species, so read the table. Barbless rules turn up on managed water more often than not. Failing this one, try Ridge Lake, 2.1 miles away. Check the position on Kendall Peak Lakes before loading the car.