Fishing at Tule Bill Lake, Okanogan County, Washington

• Overview

  Okanogan County, Washington, is where Tule Bill Lake sits. The setting is mixed forest. This is a pocket water of some 12 acres, and every part of it is reachable from the bank. Omak lies 9.8 miles from the water. Further out sit Tonasket (13 miles) and Okanogan (13 miles). The nearest boundary is a fair way off. Most people fish the same few areas, which leaves the rest quiet.

• Where to Fish on Tule Bill 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. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Across Okanogan County, recorded fish include rainbow trout, largemouth bass, sockeye salmon and yellow perch. At least one recorded species is protected in parts of its range; read the local rules before targeting anything. Tule Bill Lake repays a walk before the first cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July is the warm end of the year here, averaging about 69°F, while January sits near 24°F. Spring and autumn carry the fishing; summer and winter test it. Hard cover is dependable here; it goes around mid March. Break-up near mid March, freeze-up near early December: that is the shape of an average year. Late spring and early autumn carry the year between them. On Tule Bill Lake the same rules apply, with local timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  Who may fish here is not settled in anything we hold. No launch point is recorded nearby, so this is a bank water unless you carry a boat in. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Some banks are open only from a marked point. Signs go up and come down, so check on the day. Failing this one, try Duckett Lake, 0.4 miles away. None of that is settled for Tule Bill Lake in what we hold.