Riffe Lake Fishing in Lewis County, Washington

• Overview

  Out in Lewis County, Washington, sits Riffe Lake. Everything around it is open valley. This is big water, about 17.5 sq miles, and in a wind it behaves like a small sea. The shoreline runs to about 36 miles, far more than one trip can cover. Among the waters listed for Lewis County, none is wider. Head to Morton, 5.8 miles away, for anything you forgot. The big place round here is Tacoma, 54 miles distant. No border sits close enough to matter.

• Where to Fish on Riffe Lake

  Our records give 360 ft, so you have a figure to work from. Levels move with the draw rather than the rain on water like this. Standing timber shows when the level drops, and fish sit against it. Records held for Lewis County cover Coho salmon, rainbow trout, Chinook salmon, largemouth bass and cutthroat trout. Some of the species recorded here are protected or tightly regulated, so check what may be targeted before you fish. The near bank of Riffe Lake is often the one people ignore.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Between January at about 37°F and August at about 62°F, the water has a wide range to work through. Neither winter nor summer shuts things down for long. In a normal year the cover is thin and short-lived. The hot months push the fishing to dawn and dusk. That shapes the year on Riffe Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public land surrounds it, and access follows the standard rules. Mapping records no facilities at all near this water. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Rules differ from one water to the next round here. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. If the gate is shut, Swofford Pond at 5.8 miles is the nearest alternative. Where Riffe Lake is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.