Shoestring Lake Fishing near Cle Elum, Washington

• Overview

  Shoestring Lake belongs to Yakima County, Washington. It sits at 5,679 feet above sea level. It is pond-in-a-field scale, with the far bank a short lob away. It is one of the smaller waters we list in Yakima County. Cle Elum lies 13 miles from the water. Ellensburg is 22 miles away, with Tieton at 25 miles. It sits well inside its county, with no border complications.

• Where to Fish on Shoestring Lake

  Our records carry no depth, so judge it from the bank. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Records held for Yakima County cover rainbow trout, pumpkinseed and mountain whitefish. It is the county picture; the agency list is water-specific. Shoestring Lake gives up more to patience than to distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  In an average year August sits at 56°F and January at 24°F. Winter shuts things down for a spell, then spring reopens them fast. Look for the thaw near late April; the fishing lifts straight after. On the long-run averages the water opens up around late April and starts locking again about late November. Fish feed hardest at the start and the close of the open season. Time your trip to Shoestring Lake by conditions rather than dates.

• Tackle & Baits

  No access rule appears in what we hold. No car park, ramp or path is recorded within easy reach of the shore. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Where a permit is needed, the nearest town usually sells it. Where the way in crosses private ground, ask first. The nearest alternative is Milk Lake, 2.4 miles out. Signs at Shoestring Lake carry more weight than any list.