Long Lake in Lincoln County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Set in Lincoln County, Washington, this is Long Lake. The ground round it is rolling hill. It covers about 13 acres, so this is small water you can walk round in under an hour. Roughly 1.3 miles of bank means you can walk to a fresh area when one goes quiet. The town to know is Grand Coulee, 3.3 miles out. Further out sit Electric City (3.7 miles) and Coulee Dam (4.7 miles). The line between counties passes nearby, which can change who manages the water.

• Where to Fish on Long Lake

  We hold no depth figure for this one. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Survey and observation records for Lincoln County include yellow perch, largemouth bass and walleye. Those are county-wide records, so not every one of them will be in this water. At Long Lake the water rewards a slow, careful approach.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Between January at about 25°F and July at about 69°F, the water has a wide range to work through. Whether it freezes depends on the year. It is not guaranteed from one year to the next. February into May fishes hardest as the water warms. Anyone fishing Long Lake regularly works to that calendar.

• Tackle & Baits

  No public source sets out the position on this bank. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. No car park, ramp or path is recorded within easy reach of the shore. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Where a permit is needed, the nearest town usually sells it. Night access is frequently treated as a separate matter. Crescent Bay sits 2.9 miles off and takes the overflow. Where Long Lake is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.