Fishing at Tank Lakes, King County, Washington

• Overview

  Tank Lakes sits within King County in Washington. It sits at 5,784 feet above sea level. This is a pocket water of some 2 acres, and every part of it is reachable from the bank. On size it sits at the modest end of our King County list. The nearest place of any size is Tanner, 23 miles away. The big place round here is Bellevue, 43 miles distant. It sits well inside its county, with no border complications.

• Where to Fish on Tank Lakes

  Depth remains unrecorded, so treat the first session as a survey. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Fish documented in King County include Chum salmon, Coho salmon, Chinook salmon and sockeye salmon. Several of these carry legal protection or closed seasons; the rulebook comes before the rod. Tank Lakes repays a walk before the first cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Temperature averages peak at 55°F in August and bottom out at 23°F in December. Winter puts a hard lid on this one. The freeze runs deep into the year, with break-up near early May. The open-water window runs from around early May to about late November in an average year. Fish feed hardest at the start and the close of the open season. It holds true on Tank Lakes more years than not.

• Tackle & Baits

  We hold no note on access for this one. Overnight stays are possible about half a mile out, where camping is mapped. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. Bank access can be seasonal on ground like this. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. For a change of water, Foehn Lake is 0.3 miles distant. The position on Tank Lakes is worth confirming on the day.