Trafton Lake near Anacortes: Fishing Spots, Seasons and Access

• Overview

  In Washington, Trafton Lake belongs to Skagit County. The country here is farm and woodlot. It covers about 14 acres, so this is small water you can walk round in under an hour. Head to Anacortes, 5.3 miles away, for anything you forgot. It is 32 miles to Victoria, the nearest city. A county line runs close by, so local bylaws can differ within a short drive.

• Where to Fish on Trafton Lake

  Our records carry no depth, so judge it from the bank. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Survey and observation records for Skagit County include Coho salmon, Chum salmon, pink salmon, rainbow trout and Chinook salmon. At least one recorded species is protected in parts of its range; read the local rules before targeting anything. Trafton Lake gives up its fish to patience rather than distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The range across the year is 40°F to 61°F. The calendar is generous: something works in nearly every month. It is not guaranteed even in a cold spell, so check yourself. April and May are the settled weeks, with October close behind. Expect Trafton Lake to follow that timing. Water temperature lags the air by a week or so.

• Tackle & Baits

  We have no record of the rules that apply on this bank. You can launch from a ramp around half a mile away. Expect a half a mile walk in from where the car goes. There is a jetty half a mile off, worth knowing on a busy day. Toilets show in mapping about half a mile away. Bank access can be seasonal on ground like this. Barbless rules turn up on managed water more often than not. For a change of water, Lake Erie is 1.1 miles distant. None of that is settled for Trafton Lake in what we hold.