Saint Charles Lake in Skamania County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  The Skamania County entry here is Saint Charles Lake, in Washington. The setting is farm and woodlot. Small at around 3 acres: two anglers spread out cover most of it. The nearest town is Morton, 21 miles away. Amboy is 31 miles and Yacolt 33 miles. Water in the same corner: Meta Lake (0.6 miles), Curtis Lake within 1.2 miles, Ghost Lake (2.4 miles), Grizzly Lake within 2.4 miles and Spirit Lake (2.8 miles). The nearest boundary is a fair way off.

• Where to Fish on Saint Charles Lake

  We hold no survey for this water; read the slope of the shoreline instead. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Species logged across Skamania County include Chinook salmon, Coho salmon, rainbow trout, cutthroat trout and largemouth bass. At least one recorded species is protected in parts of its range; read the local rules before targeting anything. Read Saint Charles Lake for ten minutes before the first cast goes out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages move between 29°F in January and 59°F in August. Neither winter nor summer shuts things down for long. It is not guaranteed from one year to the next. Autumn steadies things again once the heat lets go. It holds true on Saint Charles Lake more years than not. Late summer often means an early start or nothing at all.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing in our records says who may fish here. Parking sits half a mile out, which makes for a walk with tackle. Facilities include toilets around half a mile from here. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. A phone call first saves an afternoon. Check whether bait restrictions apply before you buy any. Meta Lake at 0.6 miles is the sensible second choice. Treat access at Saint Charles Lake as something to verify.