Old Fort Lake in Pierce County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Within Pierce County, Washington, you have Old Fort Lake. The ground round it is open plain. It covers about 15 acres, so this is small water you can walk round in under an hour. It is low-lying compared with other Washington water we list. 1.5 miles away sits DuPont, the nearest town. North Fort Lewis is 3.4 miles and Joint Base Lewis McChord 4 miles. You are close to a county edge here; who manages the access can change within a short drive.

• Where to Fish on Old Fort Lake

  Depth here is unknown, so count the lead down before committing. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Reported across Pierce County: pink salmon, sockeye salmon and largemouth bass. Protected fish appear in the records for this area, so treat the list as information, not an invitation. Old Fort Lake responds to conditions more than to tactics.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Seasonal averages run from 40°F in January up to 63°F in August. The awkward stretch is midsummer, not midwinter. Late winter and spring fish steadiest here. Late winter often fishes better here than midsummer does. On Old Fort Lake the same rules apply, with local timing. Warm spells bring fish up, cold snaps push them down.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public sources are silent on who controls the bank. There is somewhere to leave the car, half a mile off. A rest area sits about half a mile from the water. There are toilets half a mile off. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Read any posted signs at the access point rather than assuming. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. The nearest alternative is Strickland Lake, 0.8 miles out. Check the current arrangement for Old Fort Lake.