Fishing Petit Lake in Pend Oreille County, Washington

• Overview

  Petit Lake stands in Pend Oreille County, Washington. Height above sea level is 3,924 feet. Surface area runs to about 18 acres — small enough to read in one session. Newport lies 32 miles from the water. The nearest city of size is Spokane, 70 miles away. Also within reach: Reeder Lake roughly 5.5 miles, 6 miles away is Hager Lake, Kerr Lake roughly 7 miles, 7.2 miles away is Huff Lake and Playa Lake roughly 9.5 miles. No county line comes close, which keeps the paperwork simple.

• Where to Fish on Petit Lake

  Nothing in our records gives a depth for this one. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Fish documented in Pend Oreille County include rainbow trout, tench and cutthroat trout. Read it as a county summary, not a water-by-water list. Fish Petit Lake to its features, not to its size.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect August to average close to 61°F, with January the cold end at about 22°F. Seasons are distinct, and each one fishes differently. Ice-out usually falls in early April, and the weeks after it fish hardest. Ice clears near early April and comes back about late November in a typical year. Look to early summer and the first cool weeks of autumn. The season on Petit Lake rarely departs from it.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing in our records says who may fish here. A ramp is mapped within 90 yards. There is a campsite 130 yards from the water. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Parking space is the usual limit rather than the bank itself. A polite question at the farm gate opens more banks than anything else. If the gate is shut, Reeder Lake at 5.5 miles is the nearest alternative. For Petit Lake, the notice at the access point is the final word.