North Skookum Lake, Washington: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  You will find North Skookum Lake in Pend Oreille County, Washington. It stands 3,583 feet above sea level. Roughly 42 acres: a morning covers one end, an afternoon the other. A shoreline of some 1.0 miles keeps the choices simple. The closest town, Newport, is 17 miles distant. After that come Priest River at 20 miles and Chewelah at 26 miles. This one is safely inside the county line.

• Where to Fish on North Skookum Lake

  Without a survey to go on, judge depth from how the bank falls away. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Survey and observation records for Pend Oreille County include rainbow trout, tench, cutthroat trout and pumpkinseed. These are county-wide records, so not all of them will be in this water. On North Skookum Lake the obvious spot is not always the productive one.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages here run 63°F at the top of summer and 24°F at the bottom of winter. Cold locks it up for a good stretch each year. Winter fishing happens on the ice here, with open water back around late March. In an average year the thaw lands around late March and the freeze near early December. May into June fishes hardest, and September gives a second good stretch before the lid returns. Plan any trip to North Skookum Lake around it.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public data does not answer the access question here. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. Formal access is not mapped, so the last stretch is likely on foot. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Ask in the nearest town if you are unsure. Where tickets apply, they are sold in the nearest town rather than on the bank. South Skookum Lake at 0.9 miles is the sensible second choice. None of that is settled for North Skookum Lake in what we hold.