Moonshine Lake, Washington: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Moonshine Lake is a Kittitas County water, in Washington. The surroundings are lake country bush. At 2 acres it is the sort of place you fish for an evening rather than a day. It is one of the smaller waters we list in Kittitas County. Leavenworth is the closest town at 21 miles. After that come Cle Elum at 22 miles and Cashmere at 29 miles. It sits well inside its county, with no border complications.

• Where to Fish on Moonshine Lake

  Without a survey to go on, judge depth from how the bank falls away. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Across Kittitas County, recorded fish include cutthroat trout, rainbow trout and Chinook salmon. Some of the species recorded here are protected or tightly regulated, so check what may be targeted before you fish. The near bank of Moonshine Lake is often the one people ignore.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The seasonal spread runs 23°F to 58°F. A full turn of seasons, with the strongest sport on either side of summer. The lid usually goes in mid April, which opens the strongest weeks of the year. The open-water window runs from around mid April to about late November in an average year. Early summer and early autumn carry the open-water season. The season on Moonshine Lake rarely departs from it.

• Tackle & Baits

  No access rule appears in what we hold. There is camping recorded roughly 100 yards off. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Some banks are open only from a marked point. Some water is controlled locally without a sign saying so. The nearest alternative is Michael Lake, 1.9 miles out. Check the position on Moonshine Lake before loading the car.