Fishing Lake Merwin in Cowlitz County, Washington

• Overview

  You will find Lake Merwin in Cowlitz County, Washington. The ground round it is open plain. This is big water, about 6.0 sq miles, and in a wind it behaves like a small sea. The perimeter is close to 22 miles, and wind can be flat in one arm and rough in the next. Of the waters listed here in Cowlitz County, this is the largest. Nearest place of any size is Amboy, 4.8 miles away. The nearest city of size is Vancouver, 25 miles away. Being near a boundary, it pays to know which side you are fishing.

• Where to Fish on Lake Merwin

  Depth went unrecorded, which puts the reading back on you. The arms fish better than the open middle whenever the water is up. Inflow corners move water, and moving water gathers fish. Public occurrence data for Cowlitz County names largemouth bass, yellow perch, bluegill and white crappie. Some of the species recorded here are protected or tightly regulated, so check what may be targeted before you fish. Fish Lake Merwin to its features, not to its size.

• Seasonal Patterns

  August runs about 64°F on average, January about 38°F. The awkward stretch is midsummer, not midwinter. Heat pushes fish deep from June onwards, so start early. March through May is the strongest run, with October and November a second stretch. Lake Merwin runs to that rhythm year in and year out.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing in our records says who may fish here. We find no slipway, car park or made path within a short radius, so treat access as rough. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. State or provincial rules still apply whatever the bank status. Keep proof of licence with you rather than in the car. Fassett Reservoir at 4.6 miles is the sensible second choice. Ask locally about Lake Merwin if anything is unclear.