Meta Lake Fishing in Skamania County, Washington

• Overview

  Meta Lake is one of the Skamania County listings for Washington. It stands 3,619 feet above sea level. Surface area runs to about 11 acres — small enough to read in one session. Morton is the closest town at 20 miles. Amboy is 32 miles away, with Yacolt at 34 miles. Nearby alternatives: Saint Charles Lake at 0.6 miles, Curtis Lake 1.4 miles, Ghost Lake at 1.8 miles, Grizzly Lake 2.1 miles and Strawberry Lake at 2.4 miles. It lies deep inside the county rather than near an edge.

• Where to Fish on Meta Lake

  There is no published depth for this one, so start shallow and work out. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Reported across Skamania County: Chinook salmon, Coho salmon, rainbow trout and cutthroat trout. Some of the species recorded here are protected or tightly regulated, so check what may be targeted before you fish. On Meta Lake that means starting tight and working out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages move between 30°F in January and 60°F in August. The year turns gently, without extremes at either end. Some winters give nothing at all, so plan for open water. June to September is hot work, so the first and last hours are what count. Expect Meta Lake to follow that timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access is not recorded for this water. Park at Meta Lake Trailhead, half a mile from the water. There are toilets mapped about half a mile away. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. A phone call first saves an afternoon. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. The nearest alternative is Saint Charles Lake, 0.6 miles out. What applies at Meta Lake may have changed since it was mapped.