Slim Lake, Washington: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Slim Lake lies within the bounds of Chelan County, Washington. The surface lies 4,629 feet up. The water measures roughly 6 acres, so nothing here is far from anything else. Darrington is the closest place, 24 miles off. After that come Granite Falls at 44 miles and Gold Bar at 44 miles. There is no boundary nearby to worry about.

• Where to Fish on Slim Lake

  Without a survey to go on, judge depth from how the bank falls away. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Chelan County records list cutthroat trout, rainbow trout, sockeye salmon, Chinook salmon and largemouth bass among the fish reported. Several of these carry legal protection or closed seasons; the rulebook comes before the rod. Slim Lake responds to conditions more than to tactics.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warm month here averages 56°F; the cold one sits at 22°F. A full turn of seasons, with the strongest sport on either side of summer. Ice-out usually falls in late April, and the weeks after it fish hardest. Break-up near late April, freeze-up near late November: that is the shape of an average year. The shoulder weeks of the open season are the productive ones. On Slim Lake the same rules apply, with local timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing on record says whether the bank is open or closed. There is no recorded infrastructure here; expect to find your own way in. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Where access is informal, keep it that way by behaving. Keep proof of licence with you rather than in the car. Should this one be busy, Woods Lake is 0.8 miles off. For Slim Lake in particular, ask before you travel.