Sunset Lake Fishing near Port Hadlock-Irondale, Washington

• Overview

  Sunset Lake is set in Jefferson County, Washington. Salt water lies 0.6 miles off. Surface area runs to about 4 acres — small enough to read in one session. Our Jefferson County list holds plenty of bigger water. You are 3.2 miles from Port Hadlock-Irondale. The big place round here is Everett, 29 miles distant. The nearest edge is a long way off, so local rules apply throughout.

• Where to Fish on Sunset Lake

  We hold no depth figure for this one. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. County-wide records name Coho salmon, rainbow trout and cutthroat trout. Protected fish appear in the records for this area, so treat the list as information, not an invitation. Fish Sunset Lake where the bottom changes rather than where it looks deep.

• Seasonal Patterns

  In an average year August sits at 62°F and December at 39°F. Neither winter nor summer shuts things down for long. In milder years the edges alone go, and the middle never sets. Late winter often fishes better here than midsummer does. It holds true on Sunset Lake more years than not.

• Tackle & Baits

  The rules here are undocumented as far as public sources go. Public mapping records no formal access here, so plan for a walk and soft ground. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. A landowner's word beats anything printed elsewhere. Where the way in crosses private ground, ask first. Moon Lake at 0.2 miles is the sensible second choice. Check the current arrangement for Sunset Lake.