Fishing at Phillips Lake, Lincoln County, Washington

• Overview

  Out in Lincoln County, Washington, sits Phillips Lake. It sits at 2,152 feet above sea level. With some 31 acres of water, there is room for a boat but no need of one. The full circuit measures close to 1.0 miles on foot. Davenport lies 19 miles from the water. For a city, Spokane is 52 miles off. It sits well inside its county, with no border complications.

• Where to Fish on Phillips 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. Species logged across Lincoln County include yellow perch, largemouth bass and walleye. These are county-wide records, so not all of them will be in this water. Fish Phillips Lake to its features, not to its size.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The year swings from about 26°F in January to roughly 69°F in July. In milder years the surface never sets. It should never be assumed safe, whatever the month says. April and May are the settled weeks, with October close behind. That shapes the year on Phillips Lake. Autumn cools the shallows first, so work deeper as it goes on.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether you may fish here is not something records settle. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. 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. Gates get locked out of season on water like this. Some ground is open by custom rather than by right, so tread carefully. The nearest alternative is Meadow Lake, 1 mile out. Check the current arrangement for Phillips Lake.