Lake McDonald near East Renton Highlands: Fishing Spots, Seasons and Access

• Overview

  Washington holds Lake McDonald, in King County. Beyond the shoreline you have oak and grass. At 16 acres it is the sort of place you fish for an evening rather than a day. East Renton Highlands is the closest place, 1.9 miles off. Then Maple Heights-Lake Desire, 2.1 miles, and Mirrormont, 3.9 miles. Alternatives close at hand: Lake Kathleen at 0.7 miles, Spring Lake 2.5 miles away, Lake Desire at 2.5 miles, Webster Lake 3.2 miles away and Shady Lake at 3.2 miles. The nearest boundary is a fair way off.

• Where to Fish on Lake McDonald

  Open data we checked carries no depth for this water. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. County-wide records name Chum salmon, Coho salmon, Chinook salmon, sockeye salmon and yellow perch. Some of the species recorded here are protected or tightly regulated, so check what may be targeted before you fish. At Lake McDonald light and wind decide more than tackle does.

• Seasonal Patterns

  August runs about 64°F on average, December about 38°F. Winter is the comfortable season here rather than the difficult one. The cooler months are the comfortable ones to be out. March through May is the strongest run, with October and November a second stretch. Anyone fishing Lake McDonald regularly works to that calendar.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing on record says whether the bank is open or closed. The nearest mapped parking is half a mile away, so the last stretch is on foot. Part of this sits inside or beside Jones Reach Natural Area, so read the notices. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Bank access can be seasonal on ground like this. Close seasons apply to some species and not others. For a change of water, Lake Kathleen is 0.7 miles distant. None of that is settled for Lake McDonald in what we hold.