Ryan Lake near Morton: Fishing Spots, Seasons and Access

• Overview

  Washington holds Ryan Lake, in Skamania County. The ground around here is mixed woodland. This is a pocket water of some 5 acres, and every part of it is reachable from the bank. Start from Morton, 17 miles down the road. Amboy follows at 36 miles, then Eatonville at 37 miles. Also within reach: Strawberry Lake (1.9 miles), Ghost Lake 2.3 miles away, Obscurity Lake (2.5 miles), Deep Lake 3 miles away and Grizzly Lake (3 miles). It sits well inside its county, with no border complications.

• Where to Fish on Ryan Lake

  We hold no depth figure for this one. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Fish documented in Skamania County include Chinook salmon, Coho salmon and rainbow trout. At least one recorded species is protected in parts of its range; read the local rules before targeting anything. Fish Ryan Lake to its features, not to its size.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warm month here averages 58°F; the cold one sits at 32°F. Temperature moves within a narrow band, and so does the fishing. It is not guaranteed even in a cold spell, so check yourself. April and May are the settled weeks, with October close behind. At Ryan Lake the season follows that pattern closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  Who may fish here is not settled in anything we hold. You can leave the car about half a mile from the water. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Take the rules with you rather than trusting memory. Some ground is open by custom rather than by right, so tread carefully. Should this one be busy, Strawberry Lake is 1.9 miles off. Treat Ryan Lake as unsettled until someone local tells you otherwise.