Mallard Marsh, Washington: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  The Pend Oreille County end of Washington holds Mallard Marsh. It sits in mixed woodland country. Roughly 36 acres: a morning covers one end, an afternoon the other. There is roughly 1.2 miles of shoreline here, which is a short walk end to end. The closest town, Newport, is 8.5 miles distant. Spokane sits 35 miles out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. This one is safely inside the county line.

• Where to Fish on Mallard Marsh

  No figure exists for depth, so let the water show you. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. Records held for Pend Oreille County cover rainbow trout, tench and cutthroat trout. Records at this level tell you what is in the area. The shape of Mallard Marsh rewards a slow walk along one bank.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages here run 65°F at the top of summer and 25°F at the bottom of winter. The freeze here is occasional rather than annual. In a normal year the cover is thin and short-lived. November and March are the quiet, comfortable months to be out. Anyone fishing Mallard Marsh regularly works to that calendar.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public data does not answer the access question here. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. You can camp about half a mile away, going by the mapping. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Local rules can differ across the county line, so check where you stand. Where parking is tight, arriving early solves most problems. For a change of water, Panhandle Lake is 0.6 miles distant. Check the position on Mallard Marsh before loading the car.