Lake Sammamish Fishing near West Lake Sammamish, Washington

• Overview

  In Washington, Lake Sammamish belongs to King County. The sea is 11 miles distant. Surface area runs to some 7.6 sq miles, so a boat and a plan are both worth having. The outline measures near 18 miles, so a boat opens up water the bank never reaches. On our King County list it sits near the top for size. Head to West Lake Sammamish, 1.2 miles away, for anything you forgot. Eastgate follows at 2.7 miles, then City of Sammamish at 2.8 miles. This one is safely inside the county line.

• Where to Fish on Lake Sammamish

  105 ft is what our records show. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Survey and observation records for King County include Chum salmon, Coho salmon, Chinook salmon, sockeye salmon and yellow perch. Several of these carry legal protection or closed seasons; the rulebook comes before the rod. Read Lake Sammamish before you fish it and the day goes better.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Seasonal averages run from 39°F in December up to 65°F in August. Cold never closes this one. Heat pushes fish deep from June onwards, so start early. November and March are the quiet, comfortable months to be out. Lake Sammamish fishes to that pattern most years. The hour either side of first light is rarely wasted.

• Tackle & Baits

  This one is recorded as open to the public. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. Access points are not mapped for this water, which suits people who like quiet. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Rules differ from one water to the next round here. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. For a change of water, Phantom Lake is 1.3 miles distant. For Lake Sammamish, the notice at the access point is the final word.