Lower Lead King Lake near Fruitvale: Fishing Spots, Seasons and Access

• Overview

  Set in Pend Oreille County, Washington, this is Lower Lead King Lake. The land about it is rolling bush. The whole thing is a single swim; walk it in a minute. It is a small entry by Pend Oreille County standards. Some 15 miles away sits Fruitvale, the nearest settlement. Salmo lies 18 miles off, Trail another 19 miles. A border sits close enough to be relevant to the paperwork.

• Where to Fish on Lower Lead King Lake

  We hold no survey for this water; read the slope of the shoreline instead. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Reported across Pend Oreille County: rainbow trout, tench and cutthroat trout. Records at county level tell you what is around, not what is stocked here. Fish Lower Lead King Lake to its features, not to its size.

• Seasonal Patterns

  In an average year August sits at 62°F and January at 24°F. The year splits cleanly: hard water, then open water. Winter fishing happens on the ice here, with open water back around late March. Averages place the thaw at late March and the freeze at late November. Late spring and early autumn carry the year between them. On Lower Lead King Lake the same rules apply, with local timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public data does not answer the access question here. Mapping shows an empty shoreline: no ramp, no jetty, no marked entry. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Sort the permit out before you load the car. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. Upper Lead King Lake, 0.4 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. Rules at Lower Lead King Lake are worth checking on the day.