Milk Lake Fishing near Leavenworth, Washington

• Overview

  Look for Milk Lake in the Chelan County part of Washington. What surrounds it is pine and birch. It covers about 3 acres, so this is small water you can walk round in under an hour. Leavenworth sits 21 miles from the bank. Further out sit Gold Bar (31 miles) and Cashmere (31 miles). The nearest boundary is a fair way off. Our records class it as a lake.

• Where to Fish on Milk Lake

  We hold no depth figure for this one. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Reported across Chelan County: cutthroat trout, rainbow trout, sockeye salmon, Chinook salmon and largemouth bass. At least one recorded species is protected in parts of its range; read the local rules before targeting anything. Take Milk Lake a stretch at a time.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Between December at about 22°F and August at about 55°F, the water has a wide range to work through. Expect a real winter and a strong spring after it. The open season starts with the thaw, near enough early May. Going by climate averages, expect open water from about early May until roughly late November. The strongest runs come at either end of the open season. Expect Milk Lake to follow that timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  No access rule appears in what we hold. Nothing formal is recorded here: no ramp, no car park, no marked path. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. A phone call first saves an afternoon. Where tickets apply, they are sold in the nearest town rather than on the bank. Square Lake sits 0.3 miles off and takes the overflow. Rules at Milk Lake are worth checking on the day.