Fishing at Stewart Lake, Okanogan County, Washington

• Overview

  Stewart Lake lies within the bounds of Okanogan County, Washington. Everything around it is pine and birch. Head to Omak, 11 miles away, for anything you forgot. For a city, Kelowna is 92 miles off. Within easy reach: Blue Lake roughly 0.7 miles, Medicine Lake 0.9 miles away, Duckett Lake roughly 1 mile, Albright Lake 1.1 miles away and Horseshoe Lake roughly 1.1 miles. The nearest boundary is a fair way off.

• Where to Fish on Stewart Lake

  Depth is not on record here, so the bank has to tell you. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Survey and observation records for Okanogan County include rainbow trout, largemouth bass and sockeye salmon. Some of the species recorded here are protected or tightly regulated, so check what may be targeted before you fish. Take Stewart Lake a stretch at a time.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The seasonal spread runs 24°F to 69°F. Winter shuts things down for a spell, then spring reopens them fast. The lid usually goes in mid March, which opens the strongest weeks of the year. Ice usually gives way near mid March, and forms again about early December. The open run goes from the thaw to the freeze, and April through October covers most of it. Anyone fishing Stewart Lake regularly works to that calendar.

• Tackle & Baits

  No access rule appears in what we hold. There is a slipway on the shore, half a mile from the water we list. The nearest car park we can see is 0.9 miles out, so expect a walk with your gear. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Take the rules with you rather than trusting memory. Where the way in crosses private ground, ask first. If the gate is shut, Blue Lake at 0.7 miles is the nearest alternative. Ask locally about Stewart Lake if anything is unclear.