Obscurity Lake in Skamania County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Out in Skamania County, Washington, sits Obscurity Lake. The surface lies 4,370 feet up. This is a pocket water of some 10 acres, and every part of it is reachable from the bank. The nearest place of any size is Morton, 17 miles away. Then Amboy, 33 miles, and Yacolt, 35 miles. Within a short run: Boot Lake 0.6 miles away, Panhandle Lake a touch under 0.6 miles, Grizzly Lake 0.9 miles away, Holmstedt Lake a touch under 1 mile and Shovel Lake 1.1 miles away. No border sits close enough to matter.

• Where to Fish on Obscurity Lake

  No published figure covers depth, so learn it as you fish. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Survey and observation records for Skamania County include 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. Fish Obscurity Lake where the bottom changes rather than where it looks deep.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Climate records put August near 57°F and January near 31°F. Ice comes and goes from one year to the next. Some winters give nothing at all, so plan for open water. November and March are the quiet, comfortable months to be out. On Obscurity Lake the same rules apply, with local timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access is not recorded for this water. You can camp about half a mile away, going by the mapping. Facilities run to toilets half a mile from the water. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Where access is informal, keep it that way by behaving. Night access is frequently treated as a separate matter. The nearest alternative is Boot Lake, 0.6 miles out. Signs at Obscurity Lake carry more weight than any list.